The Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, on Thursday, described former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, as a “loanee” from the Peoples Democratic Party in the light of his ministerial nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Sylva had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress in 2013, following a dispute which led to the formation of the new PDP.
The former governor, during his ministerial screening at the Senate, listed his achievements after which the minority leader requested that the former governor take a bow and leave.
Abaribe noted that the Bayelsa State caucus of the Senate viewed the appointment favourably after meeting with the former governor.
According to the Senate Minority Leader, the Bayelsa State Government has accepted Sylva’s nomination.
He said, “What is good for the goose is also good for the gander (sic) and therefore since we bent backwards to accommodate a member of the House of Assembly; a decision we will still have to revisit, today I plead that we also bend backwards and give (it) to another loanee from the PDP.
“Let me also state that the caucus of Bayelsa State in the Senate have met with him and they are in good standing with him.
“I was also informed this morning that the state government had even gone ahead to congratulate him as their son and someone who has the PDP DNA.
“Let me end by congratulating Chief Timipre Sylva and state what I said yesterday, the Niger Delta region is very crucial to Nigeria. We also want to plead with you that in the federal cabinet, (that) you do your best to make sure that peace continues to reign in that area.”
The Senate Majority Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, agreed with Abaribe’s motion for Sylva to take a bow