The deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Timi Frank has said the arrogance of the party’s flag bearer in Bayelsa state, Timipre Slyva will lead to his defeat during the forthcoming governorship elections in the state.
In an interview granted to Vanguard, Timi Frank said there are so many aggrieved persons in the party who are opposed to Sylva’s emergence as the governorship candidates and the latter ought to have reached out to them, including himself and make peace.
“I can tell you clearly, maybe the arrogance of Sylvia I don’t know, he hasn’t reached out since after the primaries to people like me and not just to me to so many credible Baylesans who took part in the primaries. As I speak some aspirants are still aggrieved within the party.”
“If I tell you there are no issues in Baylesa I am trying to pretend and until these issues are resolved under this short period of time, then I am sorry to say I don’t see my party winning in Baylesa. We can’t win Baylesa when we are fighting ourselves. We can’t win Baylesa when we are afraid to speak. There are issues in Baylesa.”
“Whether we like it or not there is nothing APC can do than to either manage his person at this point in time but I also see he is not helping issues. I expected him to lobby people. I expected him to make peace. I expected him to talk to the party. I expected him to beg the people because he needs the people the people don’t need him. I don’t need Timpre Sylvia as a person.”
“I have to speak for myself and I will say it clearly; I don’t need Sylvia as a person but at this point in time he needs me. He needs my support. He needs my vote. So, he should be the one that should be able to talk to some of us.”
“Firstly I am a national officer of this party whether by low ranking or by high ranking however anybody wants to see it, I am a national officer. So in my state today if anybody wants to contest for election as a national officer I should be contacted. I should be talking with you whether you like it or not, whether you like my face or not you should be able to reach out.”
“As I speak he doesn’t consult anybody when he wants to take decisions. Recently, when I made an open letter to the president rejecting even the ministerial nominee and I will still tell you whether he becomes minister or not I will continue to kick against his ministerial nomination.”
He also talked about his ‘expected’ elevation as Lai Mohammed’s successor when the latter is sworn in minister by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“If God says I am going to be, then no man can stop me. It is not something that I am going to lobby to say that I want to be. Already, I am the deputy national publicity secretary of the party which I am comfortable with and if by the grace of God, my boss is no more there, automatically without lobbying, without begging anybody, I fall into the position of acting national publicity secretary of the party.”
“I don’t know how they are going to do that because it is a constitutional issue because Nigerians will be watching them, people within the party will be watching them. Whatever they do at that point in time…you can do it to me today but tomorrow could be your turn. So that is my position on that.”