Barring last minute political considerations, a popular ex-Niger Delta Agitator and leader of the ‘Izon Tukpa Movement’, Great Joshua Maciver, will contest the gubernatorial election as running mate to Chief Timipre Sylva of the APC in Bayelsa State.
NAIJA LIVE TV reported that, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published names of candidates to contest the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State.
The INEC had announced on Thursday that it would publish the personal particulars of the candidates participating in the governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states.
According to the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye, in a statement disclosed that the publication would be done in the state headquarters and local government offices in the three states.
Consequently, the Bayelsa governorship list was released yesterday in Yenagoa at the INEC office with the names of all the Candidates of Various Political parties and their running mates
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NAIJA LIVE TV reported that while Timipre Sylva emerged winner of the APC gubernatorial primary election, Great Joshua Maciver also emerged first runner up in the contest. After the result was announced, MacIver was the first aspirants to accept the outcome and congratulate Sylva.
The former freedom fighter has been in the entourage of Sylva to virtually all the places they have gone for consultations after the Primary elections as they seek the blessing of notable Niger Delta leaders, like Government Ekpemokpulo, popularly called Tompolo, and even the Olu of Warri.
Great Maciver is seen as a very strong force in Bayelsa state, having been chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government, under the PDP, before he defected to the APC during the 2019 Governorship election in the State.
NAIJA LIVE TV gathered that, the voting population in Southern Ijaw LGA is so massive, such that politicians seeking to contest for the seat of governor in the state would always want to court them.
Great Joshua Maciver was born on April 15, 1979 in Olugbobiri Town in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. He attended St Gabriel’ Primary School 2, Olugbobiri from 1986 to 1991 where he got his First School Leaving Certificate and proceeded to Community Secondary School, Olugbobiri from 1992 to 1998 and later obtained his West African School Certificate (WASC) in 2007.
In 2009, Maciver gained admission into the University of Port Harcourt to Study Bachelor of arts, Linguistic and Communication from where he graduated with second class upper in 2013.
He is the President of Iniebi Group Limited, a reputable dredging company that has executed so many contacts successfully in Nigeria.
He is also the Managing Director of Bajeros Nigeria Limited and is known to have fought consistently to end pipeline vandalism and other criminal activities in the Niger Delta Region.
Maciver was Director General of the Bayelsa Peace Restoration Team, the campaign organization for the re-election of Henry Seriake Dickson as governor of the state.
It is said that Maciver started armed struggle in Bayelsa State as part of the Niger Delta Struggle at the age of 18 in Olugbobiri Kingdom, due largely to the neglect by the government and the oil companies operating around the Niger Delta region.
Maciver was later arrested by the government and imprisoned in 2003, for three years. After his release, he continued the Niger Delta struggle in 2005 and was among the first leaders of the ex-agitators in Bayelsa to renounce armed struggle even before the then President Umaru Musa Yaradua initiated the presidential amnesty programme.
Meanwhile, a source close to Sylva confirmed to NAIJA LIVE TV that Maciver was being considered for the top job due to his track records.