Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, who was disqualified by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on 10th October as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 11th November Bayelsa State election, is not on the amended list of governorship candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday.
Justice Donaltus Okorowo held that Sylva, having taken the oath of office twice and ruled for five years as governor of the state, he would violate the 1999 constitution if allowed to run in the forthcoming poll. He ruled that Sylva having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as the Bayelsa State governor, would breach the 1999 constitution as amended if allowed to contest again.
The judge also declared that Sylva was not qualified to run in the 11th November poll because if he won and was sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as governor of the state.
Sylva was governor of the state between 29th May and 16th April 2008 when his election was judicially annulled.
He contested the fresh election and was sworn in on 27th May 2008. But on 27th January 2012, his tenure was terminated by the Supreme Court.
In the amended list of governorship candidates and their running mates for Bayelsa and Imo States, published on INEC website, Sylva and his running mate, Joshua Maciver had their names missing. The spaces for their names across that of their party – APC – were blank with the remarks ‘Court Order’.
The list was signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony,
For Imo State, the commission included the names of Uchechukwu Ishiodu as the governorship candidate, and Ahumbe Chiazor as the running mate, for the Peoples Redemption Party for the state election.
Oriaran-Anthony, in the amended document, explained that the action of the commission was in obedience to court orders on the lists, served on the commission.
She recalled that the commission published the final list of candidates for the 2023 Bayelsa State Governorship Election on June 9 in accordance with the provision of Section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022, and the timetable and schedule of activities for the election.
She said that after the publication, the commission was served with a court order in respect of the nomination of the APC candidate for the Bayelsa State governorship election.
“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 amended list of candidates in respect of the 2023 Bayelsa State governorship election is hereby amended pursuant to the orders of court served on the commission”, Oriaran-Anthony said.
Also for Imo State, Oriaran-Anthony also recalled that INEC published the final list of candidates for the state governorship election on 9th June in accordance with the provision of Section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Election.
“After the said publication, the Commission was served with an Order of Court for the inclusion of the PRP and its candidate on the list of candidates for the 2023 Imo State governorship election.
“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 amended list of candidates in respect of the 2023 Imo State Governorship election is hereby amended pursuant to the orders of court served on the Commission”, Oriaran-Anthony said.
Also the Federal High Court, Owerri judicial division, in Suit No. FHC/OW/CS/35/2023 – PRP & Anor v. INEC, amongst others, equally ordered INEC to include the name of the PRP governorship candidate in the list of nominated candidates already published on the INEC website.
