Timipre Sylva Remains APC Governorship Candidate in Bayelsa Despite Court Judgment — INEC Declares
In a surprising turn of events, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that there is no vacancy in the All Progressives Congress (APC) column on its register, despite a recent court ruling disqualifying the APC candidate, Timipre Sylva. Just a few days ago, a Federal High Court in Abuja handed down a judgment disqualifying Mr. Timipre Sylva, the APC’s candidate for the upcoming governorship election in Bayelsa State scheduled for November 11.
The court, presided over by Justice Donatus Okorowo, ruled that Sylva, the immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources, was ineligible to participate in the gubernatorial contest due to his previous five-year tenure as the state’s governor.
The court emphasized that the Nigerian Constitution, as amended in 1999, allows a maximum of eight years for a governor’s tenure, and if Sylva were to contest and win the forthcoming election, he would surpass this constitutional limit by serving a total of nine years in office.
Justice Okorowo based his decision on a Supreme Court precedent, the Marwa vs. Nyako case, asserting that the constitution cannot be stretched to extend the statutory period for serving as a governor in the country.
Consequently, the court declared Sylva an invalid candidate for the upcoming Bayelsa state governorship election and directed INEC to remove his name from the list of candidates.
This legal battle unfolded as a result of a lawsuit brought against Sylva by an APC chieftain in the state, Mr. Demesuoyefa Kolomo. Kolomo’s suit, filed on June 13, sought to address whether Sylva, having previously held the office of governor in Bayelsa from May 2007 to January 2012, was qualified to contest another four-year term under Section 180(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Upon determining this question, the plaintiff sought a declaration that, in accordance with Section 182(1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, Sylva was ineligible to contest the election for the office of governor of Bayelsa on the APC platform or any other political party’s platform in the election. Advertisements Kolomo further requested an order for INEC to remove Sylva’s name from the list of candidates for the governor’s office on the APC platform or any other political party’s platform in the upcoming election.
Despite the court’s directive to INEC to remove Sylva’s name from the candidate list, it appears that this order has not been executed. Bayelsa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Obo Effanga, addressed this matter in an interview on Arise TV. Effanga explained, “If there is any court judgment, it will be sent to INEC headquarters, and they will make a decision.
At the moment, we have not received any communication from INEC headquarters to change any candidate. For now, we are proceeding with the election plans, including Timipre Sylva as the APC candidate. Nothing has changed,” Effanga stated. Advertisements The situation remains fluid, and it is unclear how this legal dispute will ultimately impact the upcoming governorship election in Bayelsa State.
