A former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, has called on his supporters and party faithful to throw their weight behind Timipre Sylva, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the December 5 governorship election.
Alaibe was Sylva’s strongest rival for the APC ticket but the party primary held on September 22, 2015 was marred by violence orchestrated by suspected loyalists of Sylva.
Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who was Chairman of the party’s election committee, was held hostage for hours and was rescued from the venue of the primary by combined men of the Joint Task Force and the Department of State Security.
But at the rescheduled primary on September 30, Alaibe, whom many had tipped to be the candidate, withdrew from the primary in the interest of peace and unity.
Alaibe, in a statement at the weekend, while calling on his supporters to support Sylva, said “It is exactly one month that I had to step down from competing in the just concluded Bayelsa governorship primaries.
“This was one of the numerous personal sacrifices I have had to make since my venture into politics. I stepped into the race to give further bite to my burning desire to extricate Bayelsa State from abysmal leadership failure.
“The decision to withdraw from the race may have attracted various meanings across Bayelsa State and beyond with some understandably expressing misgivings and disappointment.
“All the same, it had to be done for purposes I had clearly indicated to be in the overall interest of the APC and Bayelsa.
“We retreated to have the opportunity to further test our acceptability which we believe is still wide and solid, in the future.
“My dear friends, supporters and loyalists, my previous forays into the political arena ended amicably on the negotiation table. The negotiations were not of particular pecuniary benefits to me alone. So many persons have become senators, members of the House of Representatives, State House of Assembly, commissioners and so on.”
