BAYELSA POLL: Will Dickson floor Sylva again?

December 04

14:40 2015

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Although there are 21 candidates in the race to occupy the creek haven, as the Bayelsa state government house is known, for the next four years, the real contest is between Seriake Dickson and Timipre Sylva.

While Dickson, the incumbent governor, is of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his main rival is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Both men may never have gone head-to-head in a governorship election before, but Sylva will not forget that it was Dickson who nicked PDP’s governorship ticket in 2012, after he, as incumbent governor, was controversially sidelined by the national executive committee of the party, following his falling out with then president, Goodluck Jonathan. Will Sylva’s ambition ne scuttled once again by his number-one nemesis?

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a total of 663,639 are eligible to cast their ballots.

As the countdown begins, here is a dossier on the two candidates.

Seriake Dickson


Age	49
Birthday	January 28
LGA	Sagbama local government area
Education	Law (LL.B, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt,)
Public service career	Cadet assistant superintended of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and Attorney-general and commissioner for Justice of Bayelsa state (2006 – 2007)
Political career	Member, federal house of representatives (2007-2012). Governor of Bayelsa state (2012 till date)
Electoral failures	Nil
Electoral successes	House of representatives poll, 2007, 2011. Bayelsa gubernatorial elections, 2012.
Campaign promises	Free and compulsory education, continuity of infrastructure development, diversification of the state economy, completion of Agge deep seaport, the LNG in Brass, investment in power generation and the eco-industrial park and the completion of the airport at Amassoma.
Party	Peoples Democratic Party
Quote	Propaganda and blackmail do not win elections. Timipre Sylva and his small group of supporters thrive in propaganda, engaging in outright lies and blackmail but unfortunately, they have failed.

Timipre Sylva


Age	51
Birthday	July 7
LGA	Brass local government area
Education	English and Linguistics (University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt.)
Public service career	Executive secretary for the National Minority Business Council.
Political career	A seat in the Rivers state house of assembly (1991 – 1992). Bayelsa governor (May 29, 2007 – April 16, 2008 and May 27, 2008 – January 27, 2012)
Electoral failures	Nil
Electoral successes	Bayelsa gubernatorial election, 2007 and 2008.
Campaign promises	Change, conducive environment for investments, more jobs, peace, roads and other infrastructure development which he says he started in his first term.
Party	All Progressives Congress
Quote	I sometimes feel like the biblical Joseph that was sold by his brothers. That’s actually the way I feel sometimes, when I think about the way I was treated by my own people — the people I call my brothers. Yes, I feel betrayed by them; by President Jonathan especially.