Bayelsa 2023: Minister resigns to contest governorship poll

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, has resigned his appointment to participate in the Bayelsa State governorship election.

Though yet to be made public, the Minister was said to have sent his resignation letter to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Sylva was said to have done this about two weeks ago in order to meet with the requirement of the law that any government appointee must resign at least 30 days before the primaries of his party, the All Progressives Congress, to be eligible.

The primaries of the APC has been scheduled for April 14, 2023.

Sylva, The Eagle Online was also reliably informed, was screened by the Screening Committee of the APC in Abuja at its National Headquarters although this was not made public.

Only one other aspirant, David Lyon, was screened by the committee.

Lyon was declared winner of the last governorship election in Bayelsa State by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

However, his election was invalidated barely 24 hours to his swearing in by the Supreme Court because his running mate, Senator Degi Eremienyo Wangagha, submitted a fake certificate to INEC.

This paved the way for the emergence of the then candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Douye Diri, as the governor of the state.

Sylva served as governor of Bayelsa State between 2008 and 2012 on the platform of the PDP.

He is now going to contest the primaries of the APC with Lyon on April 14, 2023 for the November 11, 2023 poll.