LAGOS OCTOBER 1ST (URHOBOTODAY)-Former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission NDCC, Timi Alaibe has withdrawn from the primary of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Bayelsa State.
The withdrawal of Alaibe from the Governorship race elicited jubilation within the camp of former Governor Timipre Sylva who insisted that he won the last controversial primary which was canceled.
Both Alaibe and Sylva have been neck deep in political squabble over who should pick the APC Governorship ticket. While Sylva argues he is the leader and major financier of the party in the State, Alaibe claims he is the preferred candidate.
Sylva and Governor Adams Oshiomhole who supervised the controversial APC primary were engaged in verbal attacks over the circumstances surrounding the botched Governorship Primary.
In his to withdrawal from the race, the former MD NDDC sited the need for the APC to form a strong coalition to dislodge the ruling PDP.
Alaibe said He “It is with all nostalgia that I recall the zeal, enthusiasm and hope with which thousands of Bayelsans made a statement in the direction of change in August, 2015. I can also vividly recall a mental replay of the occasion wherein a qualitative representation of the
leadership of our great party, the All Progressives Congress ( APC) ushered in respected leaders and members from their then party, Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) .
“That singular event has been phenomenal just as its true meaning and direction have all exuded confidence, unity of purpose, cohesion, collectivism and courage. That day undoubtedly marked the beginning of a people’s journey from hopelessness and squandry as enunciated by the
accidental PDP-led ýgovernment in Bayelsa state to that of quality leadership that an APC government will represent.
“As one of such leaders who took that historic decision, I thought of giving a further bite to my burning desire to extricate the state fromý abysmal leadership failure. Therefore, my aspiration to be governor after series of consultations was to rekindle our collective hope and lift the state beyond its current state of decay under the PDP.
“Regardless, I am not oblivious of the fundamental fact that we all need a virile, united, cohesive and collaborative APC to bring about our desires to fruition. Not only do we need this, APC deserves every sacrifice, including personal interests, to arrive at the envisaged destination come
February, 2016.
“This is more so that both as individual leaders and as a party, the need to avoid the a situation of crisis that the PDP might inadvertently reap from cannot be over emphasised.
“As a result, having carefully examined the circumstances that have trailed the Governorship primaries of our great party in Bayelsa state, I have come to the conclusion that pushing my governorship ambition beyond this point carries alongside it some collateral consequences.
“Succinctly, two options are available to me. Whereas I am confident that I have the required support of my admirers and supportersý as well as the needed backing of Bayelsans to govern them, the hurdles set on the way of this noble project are seemingly temptous and capable of overheating the APC in Bayelsa.
“In another vein, the virtuous path to take is that virtuous one in which personal interest are sacrificed for the common good,whether for the APC or the state in general. This is the path I chose in the light of the prevailing circumstances. I therefore withdraw from the governorship
primary contest.
“This decision is taken in the interest of our party especially as we face the task of the common challenge of unseating the PDP in the state come December 5.”
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