Sylva predicts victory for Ebebi, Ebifemowei in Bayelsa bye-election

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, at the weekend, said the party’s candidates for the Bayelsa West and Central senatorial districts bye-election, Peremobowei Ebebi and Abel Ebifemowei, will win the poll.

Sylva, a former governor of the state and leader of the Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress (APC), stated this shortly after the inauguration of the campaign committee of the Bayelsa West Senatorial District candidate, Ebebi, a former Deputy Governor of the state in Yenagoa.

He noted that the party has the most credible candidates for the polls, saying former governor and PDP candidate for Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Seriake Dickson, was desperate in maligning Ebebi’s image due to his (Ebebi’s) political clout and pedigree.

Sylva described the recent judgment of a Federal High Court in Yenagoa barring Ebebi from contesting the poll as a procured one, alleging that the judge was partisan having delivered a similar judgment against the APC in the state.

“You know Ebebi and Ebifemowei’s antecedents. You also know that the PDP candidates have failed Bayelsa State. Dickson didn’t argue that Ebebi was a lawyer, but took him to court on the grounds of his qualification for admission into the Rivers State University of Science and Technology where he studied law.

“It seems the judiciary in the state is targeted at our party and its candidates. The judge who gave the verdict is a PDP judge and she is partisan. So, we are not surprised at the judgment in favour of Dickson and the PDP,” Sylva said.

Responding to questions on the appeal filed by the APC seeking to quash the judgment of the High Court, he noted that the party was hopeful that the court would upturn the judgment against Ebebi and the APC, maintaining that the APC candidates would win the December 5, 2020 poll.

Meanwhile, Ebebi urged his supporters and party faithful to disregard the court judgment, which earlier disqualified him. He said he was hopeful that the Appeal Court judgment would upturn the former ruling and restore on the ballot, reassuring that he was willing to facilitate development of the Bayelsa West Senatorial District if he wins the election.