YENAGOA, Nigeria – Timipre Sylva, the immediate past minister of state for petroleum resources, has emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, following the party’s primary election held on Friday, April 14, 2023.
Earlier, the Nigerian presidency confirmed Sylva’s resignation from his ministerial position to join the Bayelsa State governorship race.
The primary election took place across 105 wards in the state to determine the APC’s flagbearer for the upcoming November 11 election.
Major General A. T. Jubrin (Rtd.), the chairman of the APC electoral committee for the gubernatorial primary in the state, announced the results at the party’s secretariat in Yenagoa. Sylva won by a landslide, garnering 52,061 votes, while his closest rival, Joshua MacIver, received 2,078 votes.
According to Jubrin, a total of 142,031 voters were registered, with 58,121 voters accredited to participate in the primary. Other candidates’ scores included Chief David Lyon with 1,591 votes, Chief Festus Daumiebi with 557 votes, Ongoebi Etebu Maureen with 1,277 votes, and Ogbomade Johnson with 584 votes.
In his acceptance speech, Sylva praised stakeholders, party members, and fellow candidates for their discipline throughout the electoral process.
“The process to victory in the general election has just started,” Sylva said, expressing gratitude to the party for entrusting him with its leadership at a time when Bayelsans needed good governance.
Sylva assured that with his leadership and the support of everyone, victory in the general election is certain. Joshua Maciver, the first runner-up, pledged to work in unity with Sylva and the party’s stakeholders to achieve their primary goal: unseating the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the general election.
Sylva will face incumbent governor Douye Diri, the flagbearer of the PDP, in the Bayelsa State governorship race.
Timipre Sylva is a Nigerian politician with a long-standing career in the political sphere. Born on July 7, 1964, in Brass, Bayelsa State, he completed his education with a Bachelor’s degree in English and Linguistics from the University of Port Harcourt.
Sylva’s political career began in 1999 when he was appointed as Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Petroleum.
In 2002, he became a Bayelsa State Executive Council member and later served as the Commissioner for Special Duties and the Commissioner for Information, Orientation, and Strategy.
In 2007, Sylva won the governorship election in Bayelsa State under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and served as the Governor of Bayelsa State until 2012. During his tenure, he focused on the state’s infrastructural development, education, and security.
After losing the PDP primary in 2011, Sylva defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and became a prominent figure. In 2019, he was appointed as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, a position he held until his resignation in 2023 to join the Bayelsa State governorship race.
Sylva’s political career is characterized by his commitment to infrastructural development and his experience in the petroleum sector. As the APC governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Sylva aims to unseat the incumbent PDP governor, Douye Diri, in the upcoming election.
