Ex-Bayelsa Governor, Timipre Sylva has stated why he had problems with for President Goodluck Jonathan, according to Sylva he said Jonathan Coordinated attacks on him and his government while both were in power.
Speaking at an event tagged Frank Talk with Timipre Sylva, last Saturday in Abuja; he said his problems started soon after the death of former President of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Problems With Jonathan
Speaking at the event Sylva Said; “As governor of Bayelsa state, I had running battles till the day I got in with the Jonathan system because I did not come through the Jonathan succession plan.”
According to he said; “Jonathan wanted a different succession plan. I came in without him being in control and ended up as governor, so as vice-president he started fighting me and that was how my election was annulled in 2008 and I went back for reelection. Of course, Yar’adua at that time as president protected me because he saw the good work I was doing.”
“As soon as Yar’adua died my problems began because I was not in that succession arrangement and of course they concocted all kinds of lies about me.”
Sylva said; “Yar’Adua protected me while he was president, this is because he saw the good in what I was doing. But as soon as Yar’Adua died, my problems began because I was not part of that succession arrangement. So, they concocted all kinds of lies against me.”
On Issue Of Cultism And Drug Addict
He said, he was never a cultist and a drug addict, and he is not and that he will never be one. Simply because I am someone that is always close and like interact with the youths, they branded me a cultist and a drug addict.
He said; “I’m surprised that you have not asked me if I was a drug addict because that was one of the stories they spun around me. They said I take drugs. They said anything I wanted to take I will order a helicopter and fly in the air and then come down but Nigerians are ready to believe anything about anybody.”
Story of Owning 48 Houses, A Misleading Notion
The APC Chieftain said that the administration of Jonathan vowed to indict and jail him by all means, as he added that it this reason that the issue of 48 houses came up, where he accused of owning 48 properties.
Sylva said; “That was how the 48 houses story came up. At some point, I thought I had denied it so many times that there was no need to deny it. If I have 48 houses I must own a street in Abuja, but that is not true, they said they found money in my account, let them come and tell me how much they found in my account all over Nigeria, I challenged them. Because I didn’t have..”
“I have published all the papers but governor Dickson of Bayelsa state decided to re-circulate this same story. Is it another set of 48 houses they returned to me? How many times will they return the 48 houses to me,” Sylva said.
“The Jonathan administration had vowed to indict and jail me but they could not find – let them come and tell me how much they found in any account all over Nigeria, I challenge them because I didn’t have. Now they had to come up with a story, any house belonging to a friend of mine that they know, they ascribe to me.
“There were nine properties, properties of people in most cases I didn’t know so when we went to court all the people who owned the houses applied to join the case the judge had no choice, he could not tell EFCC to confiscate the properties because every owner of their property had come forward and proved that these houses did not belong to Sylva and that was how that judgement came about and they came up with 48 houses.
“The houses I owned, I went to court challenge EFCC, I owned those houses before I became governor and they were even declared in my Code of Conduct form. That story about me owning 48 houses is false. Totally false. If notice anytime they talk about cabinet – this story was trending every day when Buhari said he will expand the government.”
On The Issue of Running For Office of Governor In 2020
The former Governor also said, that he is not thinking of Governorship position for 2020 for now, rather that he is after making sure he delivered Bayelsa State for APC in the 2019 general election, as he said he will make sure President Buhari wins Bayelsa election in 2019 as well as making sure the State Assemblies and National Assembly elections in Bayelsa were worn by the APC.
