The Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) has omitted the name of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Governorship candidate, Mr Timipre Sylva alongside his deputy, Mr Joshua Maciver, from the list of qualified candidates for the November 11th Gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State. The amended list which was uploaded on the commission’s website was signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony. INEC’s decision, as stated by Mrs. Oriaran-Anthony, is in compliance with a court order.
It has been confirmed that a Federal High Court in Abuja disqualified the APC candidate from the November election in Bayelsa State. The column for the names of the APC candidate and his running mate was left blank with “court order” remarks on it.
The judgment, delivered in a suit filed by Demesuoyefa Kolomo, contested the eligibility of the former Bayelsa State Governor to participate in the off-season elections. Justice Donatus Okorowo, in his ruling, emphasized that allowing Sylva to contest again would violate the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, given that he had been sworn in twice and served as governor for five years.
INEC, in its statement, explained that it initially published the list of candidates for the Bayelsa State Governorship election on June 9th in accordance with the provisions of Section 32 of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended. The Commission further clarified that after this publication, they received a court order pertaining to the APC’s candidate nomination for the 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa State.
Additionally, the Commission emphasized that, in accordance with the provision of Section 287 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, INEC is obligated to enforce the court’s orders.
“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
