Gubernatorial Race: Gov. Sylva Threatens To Kill President Jonathan, His Wife…If

Barring any last minute changes, Governor Timipre Sylva's hope of retaining his seat in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Bayelsa state, may have been dashed. Competent sources have revealed that Governor Timipre Sylva, who is the chief

security officer of the state, has become a liability and security risk to the Nigerian security agencies and cannot be trusted with the responsibility of governance.

His actions and utterances, penultimate week, caused panic within the presidency and Nigerian security apparatchiks. President Jonathan was said to be highly disturbed by Governor Sylva`s conduct that he hurriedly summoned a meeting of security chiefs in Nigeria, with Governor Sylva in attendance, to defend himself. 

At the meeting Governor Sylva took responsibility for his utterances and conducts, citing frustration on his part and lack of support from President Jonathan as being responsible for his misdeeds. Subsequently, Governor Sylva knelt down and begged the President and the security czars present to forgive him. He was then asked to cease and desist from making threats capable of heating up the polity and return to Yenogoa immediately.

However, security has been beefed up around President Jonathan, his family and interests in Nigeria, particularly in his home state, Bayelsa.

To this end 'Famou Tamgbei', a security team, consisting mainly of mobile policemen which was constituted by Governor Sylva and is alleged to be loyal to him, has been disbanded by the Inspector General of police, Hafiz Rigim.

Irked by Governor Sylva's conducts, leading members of the People Democratic Party (PDP) of Ijaw extraction has begun shopping for his replacement. It is however uncertain if they have the backing of President Jonathan.

Huhuonline.com  understands that Governor Sylva in a telephone conversation with President Jonathan`s brother and former Bayelsa state commissioner for Health, Dr. Eruani Azipanu, had threatened to kill him, President Jonathan and his wife, Patience, if he was not re-elected as Governor.

In a telephone conversation with Huhuonline.com, Eruani said:

'Governor Sylva called me one early morning, and I answered and said Good morning Your Excellency. Sylva responded, Please don't call me that, I heard the President wants to remove me as Governor and install you, so that is why you refused to return as commissioner?

'Let me tell you something. THIS WILL BE THE LAST FIGHT; I WILL KILL PRESIDENT JONATHAN, HIS WIFE, PATIENCE AND YOU. I AM ONE OF THE MAJOR FINANCIERS OF BOKO HARAM. I WILL MOBILIZE THEM TO YENAGOA AND WILL SINK THE STATE IF YOU PEOPLE MAKE ANY ATTEMPT TO REMOVE ME.

Our investigation reveals that for several months, Sylva had complained to the Inspector General of Police, Haffiz Rigim that he does not have access to President Jonathan. He said as the Governor of Mr. President's home state, he was supposed to have unfettered access to the President.

However, according to security reports shown to Huhuonline.com, during the health crisis of President Yar'adua and the ensuing power vacuum, Governor Sylva provided Five hundred million naira (N500, 000,000.00) as bribe to the National Assembly to make sure that Goodluck Jonathan does not emerge as acting President.

Attempt to reach Governor Sylva was unsuccessful, calls to his phone were not answered, neither did he respond to our text messages as at press time.However, sources close to the Governor insist that his threats was a political ploy, aimed at putting the President`s men, who are opposed to his re-election on the defensive.

Asked about Governor Sylva's threats vis-a-vis, his right to freedom of expression, a leading constitutional lawyer from Nigeria, who craved anonymity, said, 'Governor Sylva crossed the line, the Nigerian constitution, (Chapter 4, section 33), guarantee every citizen the right to life, and states no one should be deprived intentionally of his life. It is wrong for anyone to threaten another life, talk less an elected Governor to threaten to terminate the life of a sitting President'. This is political suicide, and unless President Jonathan let this slide, Gov. Sylva may have ended his political carrier, he said.

 
To be Continued!