APC May Ask Sylva, Others to Step Down For Alaibe Ahead Of Bayelsa Polls

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday has waded into the tussle for the party’s governorship ticket for Bayelsa state with the aim of building a consensus around the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Timi Alaibe as the candidate.

The party’s leadership yesterday summoned all its governorship aspirants in Bayelsa and Kogi states to a meeting in Abuja as part of efforts to boost its chances of victory in the two PDP states.

The consultative meeting with governorship candidates from Bayelsa is coming ahead the the primary election scheduled for Saturday, where two prominent aspirants, the former Governor of the state, Chief Timipre Silva and Alaibe are squaring up for a contest.

But THISDAY gathered that the plan to persuade Silva to back Alaibe has met a brick wall as Silva has gone ahead with intense campaign and mobilization of delegates.

The meeting which was held behind closed door had in attendance the national chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun, Deputy national chairman (South) Olusegun Oni, national organising Secretary Senator Osita Izunaso among other national executives of the party.
Sources at the meeting told journalist that the party leaders would prefer the former NDDC boss, who they believed has ‘better chances of wining the context due to his ‘solid political structure in Bayelsa since 1999 till date.