It emerged on Friday that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may dump former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva from the  December 5 gubernatorial contest.

Insiders in the party CEOAfrica source  in Abuja that leaders of the party have communicated their resolve to field persons who have no known cases with any of the anti-graft agencies in the governorship polls.

Sources at the party secretariat told CEOAfrica source that President Muhammadu Buhari recently admonished the party’s leaders on the need to field a candidate with no known or ongoing cases with either the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

Though the Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice A. R. Mohammed had in July dismissed a N19 billion 42-count suit bordering on alleged stealing and money laundering brought against  Sylva by the EFCC, the commission has filed a fresh suit at another court.

It was learnt that leaders of the APC are now relying on the N19.5bn suit to threaten Sylva’s chances as he was said to have been told to clear his name first.

Sources said that the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC), Mr. Timi Alaibe might have been wooed by the likes of the APC national chairman, Chief John Oyegun, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande and Chief Audu Ogbeh, among others, following counsel from President Buhari.

The EFCC is challenging the suit in which Sylva, alongside three others, is allegedly involved in the N19 billion suit.

Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja had dismissed the 42-count charge on the basis of the finding that the prosecution’s application to consolidate the charges against the defendants amounted to an abuse of court process.

But the Commission has since filed fresh charges.

Sources in the party said that “the plot to stop Sylva is a party affair, notwithstanding his standing in the party and his role in the successes recorded by the APC in the March 28 election.”

Sylva was initially declared the winner of the APC primaries in Bayelsa but the party in Abuja has announced its decision to nullify the primary and condct a fresh one.