Court Disqualifies Sylva’s Governorship Bid

The Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the November 11 governorship election, Mr Timipre Sylva has been disqualified.

Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in the judgment that Sylva has served for five years as governor of the state, and if allowed to run, the 1999 constitution as amended would be breached.

In addition, the judge ruled that Sylva was ineligible to contest for governor of the state in the November election since, if he were to win and be sworn in, he would hold the position for more than eight years.

Justice Okorowo cites the Supreme Court case of Marwa vs. Nyako and points out that Sylva was voted into office twice against the country’s constitution’s drafters’ instructions that no one be elected governor more than twice.

He added that no one is permitted to enlarge the Constitution’s purview, as the Supreme Court declared in the Marwa v. Nyako case. Therefore, if Sylva is permitted to run for office in the subsequent election, it follows that anyone may run for office however often they choose.

On June 13, 2023, Deme Kolomo, a member of the APC filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 demanding the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delete Sylva’s name from the list of candidates contesting the Nov. 11 governorship poll.

Because Sylva previously held the position of governor of Bayelsa from May 29, 2007, to April 15, 2008, and from May 27, 2008, to January 27, 2012, Kolomo has urged the court to rule on his eligibility to run in the election.

Kolomo stated in the affidavit that in addition to being an APC member, he was also a registered voter in the state.