A Federal High Court in Abuja has disqualified Chief Timipre Sylva, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, from participating in the upcoming November 11 election in Bayelsa.
The court ruling, delivered by Justice Donatus Okorowo, emphasized that Sylva, who previously served as governor for two terms, would violate the 1999 Constitution if allowed to run again.
Justice Okorowo agreed with the plaintiff’s argument and noted that Sylva’s candidacy would exceed the constitutional limit of two terms as governor.
Sylva disqualification case
Citing the Supreme Court case of Marwa vs. Nyako, the judge stressed that the drafters of the constitution intended to limit governors to two terms.
The case was filed by Mr. Deme Kolomo, an APC member, who sought the court’s intervention to have Sylva’s name removed from the list of candidates for the November election.
Kolomo argued that Sylva’s candidacy was unconstitutional given his previous terms as governor.
Sylva’s defense argued that he had only been elected once as the state’s governor since the Appeal Court nullified his 2007 election and directed a fresh election. They asked the court to dismiss the suit.
In a similar suit filed by another APC aspirant, Ogbomade Johnson, on September 26, Justice Inyang Ekwo dismissed the case for failure to provide sufficient evidence.