‘You’re unpatriotic, self-centred’ — Edwin Clark tackles Sylva

Edwin Clark, convener of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), says Timipre Sylva, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa state, is “unpatriotic”.

In an open letter, Clark said Sylva is the reason why host communities receive only three percent from oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region.

The Ijaw leader alleged that while the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari wanted five percent to go to the host communities, Sylva, as petroleum minister, suggested 2.5 percent.

However, the national assembly made it three percent in the petroleum industry act (PIA) that was passed into law.

Clark said Sylva did not ensure that the three percent was paid to host communities before leaving office.

“Even, the insulting and oppressive 3 percent you imposed on our people, you made no effort to implement it before you left office,” he said.

On the forthcoming November 11 election, the PANDEF leader accused Sylva of being self-centred, adding that he has provided poor leadership to the APC in Bayelsa.

“Your refusal to conduct open, free and fair primaries under the APC constitution and the Electoral Act 2022 has no doubt caused serious division in the party particularly amongst the leaders and has definitely affected the development of the party in the state,” he said.

“Mr. David Lyon, whom you promoted for the Governorship of Bayelsa State in 2019, but later lost the Governorship to PDP due to the unqualified running mate you imposed on him.

“Your actions which are now regarded as deliberate because you now want to take his place without free and fair primary elections which David Lyon wanted to contest with you without any bitterness, but you announced yourself winner of the so called Kiangaroo primaries.

“One would have expected that you would support David Lyon to have a second chance.”

Bokoro Julius, a spokesperson in the APC governorship campaign council, is yet to comment on Clark’s letter.