TheCable

In politics, when two brothers go to war, it is usually dirtily-fought. And until interests align again, such wars hardly end.

The past week may have been dominated by the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Bureau, but that same week, the ugly tussle for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in Bayelsa state got to a head. At the centre of that tussle is Timipre Sylva, former governor of the state, and Adam Oshiomhole, incumbent governor of Edo state.

In every sense of the word ‘brothers’, these two men qualify as one. They are members of the same party; and ideally, both men ought to be working towards an APC victory at the main election, which is a little over two months away.

They are so close that they almost dine together. As Sylva said – and Oshiomhole hasn’t denied – he “personally accompanied” the Edo governor “to the gate when he was going to eat” last week, during the party’s governorship primary. Between that day, September 22, and now, so much has changed that Sylva is unlikely to “accompany” the governor on a similar mission.

Sylva polled the highest vote of 726 to beat other contenders in the primary; ordinarily, it meant he had won. But the exercise held in rancorous circumstances, and Oshiomhole claimed he was smuggled out of the venue by security. He didn’t favour the result of the exercise, much to Sylva’s chagrin. With APC announcing its plan to reschedule the primary, the two friends are now at daggers drawn.

A day after the primary, Oshiomhole accused Sylva of lacking “faith in a democratic process”. “Whoever wins does not matter but the process that produced the winner,” he said.

Sylva’s opinion was that the Edo governor was only out to frustrate him out of the race. “It is unfortunate that people like Adams Oshiomhole, the governor of Edo state and former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, who pretend to be incorruptible, would conduct himself in the manner in which he did in relation to the Bayelsa state governorship primary,” he said through Doifie Buokoribo, his spokesman.

“Oshiomhole came to Yenagoa with a clear agenda, which was to get me out of the race at all cost. We are aware that he had been lobbying at the centre to get me out of the race in order to pave the way for one of the aspirants.”

Sylva went on to insist that he is the APC candidate for the election, and that any attempt to conduct fresh primary would amount to illegality. “An APC candidate for the December 5, 2015 governorship election in Bayelsa State has emerged and that candidate is Chief Timipre Sylva,” he said.

Sylva’s defiance is not difficult to understand. He has lived everyday of the last three years for the day when he will retake the Bayelsa governorship seat from Seriake Dickson, the man who snatched the PDP ticket from him in controversial circumstances back in 2012. Sylva was governor when the supreme court sacked him in January 201; and having fallen out with then president, Goodluck Jonathan, he lost the PDP ticket to Dickson.

Now, he has a chance to confront Dickson, this time in a straight clash. Is Oshiomhole out to frustrate him? What are your thoughts?

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