Group cautions government to stop alleged planned protest against Sylva

The Patriots of Ijaw Nation (PIN) has urged a South-South governor (name withheld) to stop a planned protest against Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Kesiye Newman, the group alleged that information at its disposal indicated that the governor was planning to mobilise people from the state and beyond to stage a protest at Sylva’s Abuja home. 

The planned protest allegedly tagged, “Leave Justice Mary Odili Alone,” is scheduled to take place in the run-up to the Supreme Court’s hearing of the appeal for a review of the Bayelsa State governorship election judgment of February 13, 2020.

Justice Odili had presided over the apex court’s panel that quashed the victory of David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on account of problems that the running mate had with his certificates.

Following the judgment, some persons protested at Justice Odili’s residence last week. The governor had accused Sylva and APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole of being the brains behind the protests, but they denied the allegations. Sylva, in particular, disclaimed and denounced the protests.

“We wish to alert the public to the information at our disposal that the governor is moblising widely to stage a protest in front of the Abuja residence of Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

“Sylva is a former governor of Bayelsa State and Leader of APC in the state. His protégé, David Lyon, won the November 16, 2019 Bayelsa State Governorship Election, but the Supreme Court voided APC’s victory on February 13, 2020, less than 24 hours to inauguration. The judgment has been widely condemned, and there have been protests in Yenagoa and Abuja.

“Not satisfied with the maligning of the APC National Chairman and the Minister, the governor is sponsoring people from his state and beyond with public funds to protest against Sylva. His argument is that he has a duty to protect his state indigenes, including Justice Odili, who is married to former Governor Peter Odili. We consider this a joke is taken too far,” the statement reads.

The group, therefore, advised the governor to stop his mischief, adding that if he does not know, Sylva has people who can always rise up to protect their own and that no one has a monopoly of mischief in politics. 

It also stressed that the governor must understand that compared to Sylva, he was an amateur in politics and governance, adding, ”He is a warmonger.

He is permanently at war with political opponents, even in his own party. 

“We find it difficult to understand why the governor is buying a problem that ordinarily should not be his own matter. Or is it the case that former Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, who he pilloried towards the end of his tenure, has used the disputed oil wells to ‘settle’ him?

“We are by this statement offering the governor the wise counsel to call his foot soldiers to order in order to save a lot of extra work he may have to do later. A word is enough for the wise.”