The former Petroleum Minister and current All Progressives Congress Governorship Candidate in Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, has strongly criticized the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.
The criticism comes after Diri ordered his Attorney-General to prosecute Sylva over the death of George Sibo during the last governorship election.
Sylva accused Governor Diri of using this directive as a diversionary tactic to distract from the ongoing case at the Appeal Court. He recalled that Diri had previously abandoned a fictitious case involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission aimed at derailing Sylva’s efforts and the APC’s focus on the legal battle to reclaim what they believe is a stolen mandate.
Chief Sylva, in a statement issued by his Special Assistant for Media, Julius Bokoru, emphasized his innocence regarding the death of George Sibo. Sylva described Sibo as an “illustrious and promising youth” and noted that he was not present on the island when Sibo died. Bokoru’s statement urged the public to disregard the governor’s new allegations, asserting that they were unfounded and politically motivated.
Bokoru stated: “Chief Sylva is curious at what Diri’s apparent desperation can push him to. It is clear this recent effort is a symptom of fear, shortly after Diri tried to conjure some phantom EFCC case against Sylva he has devised a new method of distraction which, of course, is dead on arrival.
“Sylva knows nothing of the murder of George Sibo, an illustrious and promising youth of the state, it is important to note that by the time the young man died Sylva was well out of the Island.”
The statement further alleged that Governor Diri was using taxpayer money for heavy propaganda to distract Sylva from his legal pursuit. Bokoru continued: “It is clear that this is fear, anxiety and everything to distract Chief Sylva after his attempt to bring up EFCC issues failed at the wake of a long and relentless string of propaganda against Chief Sylva with taxpayers’ monies.
“It is clear that any attempt to drag Chief Sylva into this issue is either inspired by fear and anxiety or by a thoroughly jaundiced mindset.
“Everything imaginable has been put in Sylva’s way to distract him. After Diri’s attempt to bring up phantom EFCC issues failed. After the endless and relentless string of propaganda failed against Chief Sylva. Now this!
“This response, which at this point is forced from Chief Sylva, is painful for two reasons: how can a sitting governor assume the role of a forensic and criminal investigator, and convict Chief Sylva even before investigations commenced? How much more can a sitting governor debase the office, making such wild, frantic, and baseless allegations?
“In the course of the last elections we saw strange things from Gov Douye Diri who seemed constantly edgy and ready to emotionally erupt, but this latest unwarranted combustion is a new low.
“This is an unequivocal affirmation that we have a mentally brittle individual at the helm in Bayelsa State who cannot free himself from a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which he apparently contracted since the electoral heist of November 2023.
“Chief Sylva, concerned Bayelsans, and the APC are trying everything within the law to get a stolen mandate back.
“Until justice is done, Diri’s Governorship remains illegitimate in the minds of every sincere Bayelsan and every sincere person of goodwill.”
