Bayelsa 2023 : INEC Finally Adds Timipre Sylva’s Name To List Of Guber Candidates
Ahead of the November 11, 2023, governorship election in Baye;sa state, the Independent National Electoral Commission , INEC, has added Mr. Timipre Sylva’s name to the list of the guber candidates.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that the list of governorship candidates made available on the commission’s website on Monday, which was signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, contained the names of Timipre Sylva and his running mate, Joshua Maciver.
Mr. Sylva is the APC guber candidate.
Recall that the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on October 10, invalidated Chief Timipre Sylva’s candidacy..
Justice Donatus Okorowo ruled that Sylva, having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor of Bayelsa state, would be breaching the 1999 constitution as amended if allowed to contest governorship election again.
‘So, if Sylva is allowed to contest the next election, it means a person can contest as many times as he wishes’ he said.
Bayelsa state APC big wig, Mr. Deme Kolomo had in the suit he filed on June 13, 2023 , sought that Sylva should have his candidacy invalidated having gotten sworn in as governor of Bayelsa state on three different occasions.
Sylva had however appeal the judgment through his lawyer, Dr Ahmed Raji, and whilst this was pending, INEC had on October 25 released the list of guber candidates and did not include Sylva’s name ,ditto his running mate.
Oriaran-Anthony noted on Monday that the former governor getting recognized as APC candidate was done in obedience to court orders.
‘It may be recalled that the final list of candidates for the 2023 Bayelsa State Governorship Election was amended on October 16, 2023, according to the Order of the Federal High Court in Suit No-FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 in respect of the nomination of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, for the 2023 Bayelsa State Governorship Election.
The Court of Appeal in a judgment delivered on October 31, 2023, in Appeal No CA/ABI/CV/1060/2023 set aside the judgment of the lower court cited above.
By virtue of the provision of Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the commission is bound to enforce the orders of the court on the nomination of candidates by political parties in the state.
The list of candidates in respect of the 2023 Bayelsa State Governorship election is hereby amended in Amendment No 2 pursuant to the judgment of the Court of Appeal’ Oriaran-Anthony said.
Sylva, a former member of the old Rivers state House of Assembly, was the governor of Bayelsa state from 2007 to 2012 .
He was however temporarily out of office between April 15, 2008 and May 27, 2008. He also served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources during the Muhammadu Buhari administration-Team@orientactualmags.com
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