Chief Timipre Sylva, former Petroleum Minister, State for Petroleum has berated Gov Douye Diri, for ordering his prosecution over the death of one George Sibo in the last governorship election.

The former governor of Bayelsa dismissed the allegations in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Julius Bokoru made available to newsmen on Friday in Yenagoa.

Sylva said that the directive, which Diri gave to his Attorney-General, had shown the governor's desperation to deploy diversionary tactics and distractions against his case at the Appeal Court.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Bayelsa recalled that Diri had abandoned a phantom EFCC case he conjured to distract him and had devised another style in his failed attempt to stop him and the APC from concentrating on their case.

Sylva said Diri's new devilish plot was dead on arrival as he knew nothing about the death of Sibo, whom he described as an illustrious and promising youth of the state.

Sylva asked members of the public to discountenance the new plot by the governor insisting that nothing would stop him from reclaiming his stolen mandate.

The statement said: "Chief Sylva is curious at what Diri's apparent desperation can push him to. It is clear this recent effort is a symptom of fear, shortly after Diri tried to conjure some phantom EFCC case against Sylva he has devised a new method of distraction which, of course, is dead on arrival.

"Sylva knows nothing of the murder of George Sibo, an illustrious and promising youth of the state, it is important to note that by the time the young man died Sylva was well out of the Island".

The statement observed that Diri had continued to spend huge amounts of taxpayers' money on heavy propaganda to distract Sylva's focus on his case.

The statement said: "It is clear that this is fear, anxiety and everything to distract Chief Sylva after his attempt to bring up EFCC issues failed at the wake of a long and relentless string of propaganda against Chief Sylva with tax payers monies.

“It is clear that any attempt to drag Chief Sylva into this issue is either inspired by fear and anxiety or by a thoroughly jaundiced-mindset.

“Everything imaginable has been put in Sylva’s way to distract him. After Diri’s attempt to bring up phantom EFCC issues failed. After the endless and relentless string of propaganda failed against Chief Sylva. Now this!

"This response, which at this point is forced from Chief Sylva, is painful for two reasons: how can a sitting governor assume the role of a forensic and criminal investigator, and convict Chief Sylva even before investigations commenced? How much more can a sitting governor debase the office, making such wild, frantic and baseless allegations?

“In the course of the last elections we saw strange things from Gov Douye Diri who seemed constantly edgy and ready to emotionally erupt, but this latest unwarranted combustion is a new low.

"This is an unequivocal affirmation that we have a mentally brittle individual at the helm in Bayelsa State who cannot free himself from a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which he apparently contracted since the electoral heist of November 2023.

"Chief Sylva, concerned Bayelsans and the APC are trying everything within the law to get a stolen mandate back.

"Until justice is done, Diri’s Governorship remains illegitimate in the minds of every sincere Bayelsan and every sincere person of goodwill".

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