Ex-Minister, Sylva Not Eligible To Run For Bayelsa Governorship Over Identity Theft

The Citizens Initiative for Better Nigeria (CIBN) has asked the former minister of state for petroleum and the APC governorship aspirant in Bayelsa state, Chief Timipre Sylva to withdraw from the forthcoming governorship race.

The group made the demand at a press conference organized in Abuja on Thursday, April 13, 2023.

Addressing journalists present during the press conference, Comrade Kabiru Matazu, chief convener of CIBN accused the former Governor of Bayelsa State of impersonation, forgery of academic documents and giving false evidence. He also demanded his prosecution by the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies.

He said the CIBN has been trying since last year to uncover the true identity of Sylva, who recently resigned as minister of state for petroleum resources, to contest the forthcoming Bayelsa state governorship election.

Matazu said the CIBN has been vindicated as a prominent indigene of Bayelsa, Comrade Timi Frank has engaged a law firm in Abuja to author petitions and Freedom of Information letters to various agencies on the subject matter.

He said:

”The petitions and letters which we obtained and will make available to the media were dated 31st March, 2023 and addressed to the Lagos State Ministry of Education, WAEC, UNIPORT, Inspector-General of Police, Department of State Services, Code of Conduct Bureau, amongst other agencies.
”In his usual way of fighting corruption, Comrade Timi Frank through his lawyers is requesting the schools purportedly attended by Chief Timipre Sylva between 1976 till 2011 to verify whether the certificates bearing different names being paraded by Chief Timipre Sylva actually belong to him.

”On the strength of his petitions, Comrade Timi Frank wants the Inspector-General of Police to activate the powers under Section 4 of the Police Act, 2020 by jumpstarting the investigation of Chief Timipre Sylva.
”He also requests the Bayelsa state House of Assembly to derecognize Chief Timipre Sylva as a former governor.”

Comrade Matazu stated that Sylva’s attempt to go back as governor is so he can have immunity to escape prosecution.

In a related report by Peoples Gazette, Mr Sylva’s primary school certificate carried his name as Anagha Timipere. He filed the documents before a court in the United States as part of an ongoing defamation suit brought by his lawyers.

But Anagha Timipere was different from Marlin Anagha Timipre, which was the name Mr Sylva had on his WAEC certificate.

Similarly, the ex-petroleum minister had also obtained his bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Port-Harcourt, with the certificate bearing Anagha Timipre Marlin.

This again contradicted Mr Sylva’s 2011 doctoral degree in International Relations Ubis University, Switzerland, which was awarded to Chief Timipre Sylva.

The report further added that Mr Sylva neither participated in the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps nor did he obtain an exemption certificate using any of the aforementioned names.