November 11 Polls: ‘He Lacks Capacity To Beat Douye Diri’ – Timipre Sylva’s Loyalist Withdraws Support

A loyalist of the former petroleum resources minister, Israel Sunny-Goli, has said his principal Timipre Sylva cannot win the forthcoming November 11 governorship polls in the state.

Sylvia is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State. Sunny-Goli has said he lacks the political structure to win the polls, Naija News gathered.

Sunny-Goli, who hitherto was a loyalist of the former minister on Thursday, told journalists in Yenagoa that the former petroleum resources minister has no structure to defeat the incumbent Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While expressing confidence that Diri will emerge as the winner of the November polls, Sunny-Goli asserted that Sylva took his loyalty of over 20 years for granted and, as such, he cannot continue to support him.

Sunny-Goli, the immediate past member representing Nembe-Brass federal constituency, noted that though other members of the party will support Sylvia, “but because my interest is not in him, I pulled out, and it doesn’t mean the party will not conduct an election so that tomorrow people will not take loyalty and support for granted.”

He stated, “I told you earlier on that Timipre Sylvia is taking my loyalty for granted and support of over 20-something years and undermining me. I have mentioned here during my presentation that I and supporters across the state have decided on who to support when it comes to the governorship election come November 11, 2023. We will know who we will support, and in the appropriate time, we will let you know where we are going to put our vote.

“It is my right to say how I feel, and I have told you as it stands, if INEC is to conduct the election, Governor Douye Diri will win all the eight local government areas landslide. And I’m giving you a graphic position, so wait for me to tell you who I will support come the November election.

“Up to date, I am still a member of the APC. You know we just elected our President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and I’m proud to be among those that supported him to succeed. On the occasion of having issues with my principal, Timipre Sylvia, these are issues that border on taking my loyalty of more than 20 years for granted. I have discussed with my supporters across the state, and I have told them my reasons, and they have accepted.

“Also, I have my right to support whosoever I want to support when the election comes; it is a tough decision because for you to leave a place where you have stayed over 20 years is not easy, but for some obvious reasons, I have to take a decision for some people to know that my loyalty and support should not be taken for granted for whatever reason, so I’m quitting the campaign of Timipre Sylvia becoming the governor of Bayelsa State come November 11, and at the appropriate time, the world will know where we are going to support. Myself and my supporters.

“I have looked at all the parties and all the candidates and campaigns to win the hands of Bayelsa, and I’m also convinced that as it stands, Timipre Sylvia does not have the political structure of Bayelsa State to beat Douye Diri come November 11, 2023.”