‘Sylva Is Not A Governorship Candidate, Any Vote For APC Is Invalid’ — Diri

The Bayelsa State Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 11th, 2023 election, Douye Diri on Tuesday claimed that Timipre Sylva has not been validated by the court as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Diri noted that a vote for the APC in the forthcoming election will be declared invalid.

The Bayelsa Governor stated this while speaking in Agbere Community, the headquarters of Sagbama Constituency III, during the grand finale of the constituency campaigns in the area on Monday.

Diri and his campaign train who had visited Angalabiri, Tungbo, Asamabiri, Trofani, Ofoni, and Elemebiri, among others called on the people to vote for the PDP.

At Trofani Community, the governor who commissioned an electricity project linking the community to the national grid, urged the people not to be deceived by the mouth-watering promises of Sylva.

He said, “Trofani is our place, we came just to greet you and to acknowledge the fact that you have done very well with your valuable sons who are working with us and adding value to our state and your community.

“Today we are happy that public power supply has been restored and Trofani has now been reconnected to the national grid.

“We want to urge you to continue to keep the peace and don’t let anyone deceive you. There are those who are full of promises, who build empty castles in the air, don’t let them deceive you. You have been doing very well and we know that you will continue to do well. Trofani is a PDP community and we know that come November 11, Trofani will deliver 100 per cent.”

Diri while speaking at Agbere said, “Let me remind you that in this election that we are going on November 11, now Timipre Sylva is not a candidate, who said it? It is the court. Up till now they are filing and filing appeals and the date is getting closer. They will file and file out of time.

“So any vote for the APC is an invalid vote. Even with campaigns they are becoming jealous, what they are doing now is that they are calling people to come and disorganize our campaigns, but you see when God has blessed a man, you cannot curse.

“So let me advise my prevalidating man, who says that the chapter of the governorship of Bayelsa State and him is closed and now he has reopened it.

“When you have reopened it, play it according to the rules and anybody who does not play it to the rule is an animal and that is the kind of society that Thomas Hobbes described as the state of nature where might is right, where life has become brutish, nasty and short. And our society, Bayelsa State is a lawful society, it is not a lawless society. So if you don’t keep by your words others keep by their words, others keep to laws.

“So please stop scamming people to disorganize our organic campaigns and rallies. We don’t buy these people, they are here because they love their state. So I advised, let us play by the rules.”