PDP AND BAYELSA GUBER CANDIDATES SCREENING

An interesting drama would most definitely play itself out in the macabre dance PDP is calling guber screening in Bayelsa State.

With Media Guru Mr. Ben Murray Bruce and incumbent governor Chief Timipreye Sylva reportedly screened out of the race for Creek Haven Govt Lodge, all appears set for Mr. Timi Alaibe (who not too long ago dumped PDP for Labour Party and recently found his way back into PDP) to have a smooth sail into Government House Yenegoa.

The snag however is that Timipreye Sylva (the incumbent governor of the state) was recently reported as saying that he would mobilize Boko Haram (a paraphrase for violence) to the state. Could he be serious? Should he be taken seriously?

In another but reletated development, the ambition of  Timipreye Sylva to stay another 4 years as Bayelsa governor should reveal if there is still unity amongst members of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF)  and go ahead to test the strenght and cohesion of Governors' Forum under Rotimi Amaechi. It has been reported that some governors have risen in defence and support of Timipreye Sylva.

 

Recall that during the build up to the 2011 presidential elections, the NGF under Bukola Saraki had held Goodluck Jonathan captive, insisting that all PDP incumbent governors must be given automatic tickets to contest the 2011 election as a precondition for their support of GEJ's then shaky presidential bid. GEJ had acceded to their demands then as a strategy for self preservation. Would GEJ buckle to the governors' pressure this time around and let Sylva fly the PDP ticket?

In all of this game however, it is believed that the choice of Timi Alaibe as guber candidate is from forces far greater than GEJ as GEJ is believed to be bitter and may want to take his pound of flesh (if he could) from Timi Alaibe who almost made it impossible for him (GEJ) to win the PDP gubernatorial ticket for Bayelsa state in 2007 but for the intervention of Obasanjo. Others however believe that GEJ is not known to be vindictive and may not interfere or be opposed to the eventual choice of Timi Alaibe as PDP flag bearer for Bayelsa State.

Then the question arises: In all of these schemes, what are Ben Murray Bruce's real motives? For a man not known to have the temperament of being challenged, a man who always wants to be in charge, is Ben Bruce an agent provocateur, is he a pawn in an elaborate power game or is he in it for pecuniary benefit as has been suggested in some quarters?

 

Therein lies the questions which answers may put a clear definition as to wether GEJ is non vindictive or wether he just found himself helpless in a political chess game that is bigger than him.

 

Muffled voices have suggested that not withstanding the relationship between Ben Bruce and Timi Alaibe who mingle in the same social circles to which GEJ does not belong, President Goodluck Jonathan and some inner members of his strategy team may have employed to use Ben Bruce as a trump card to checkmate Timi Alaibe's ambition. How true this is remains a matter of conjecture.

Bayelsans are watching, Nigerians are watching Bayelsans. Oya lets go there!!!