Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva, will on September 28, 2023, know whether he is qualified or not for the November 11, poll.
This is because a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, will on that day deliver judgment in a suit praying Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to delete him name from list of candidates contesting the Bayelsa November 11, poll.
The suit was brought by Chief Demesuoyefa Kolomo, also member of the APC in the state.
Kolomo asks court to delete Sylva’s name from list of candidates
Kolomo, in the suit had prayed the court to order INEC to delete Sylva’s name from list of candidates contesting the November 11, governorship poll.
Trial judge, Justice Donatus Okorowo adjourned for judgment, after counsel Kolomo, and Sylva, including that of the APC, adopted their processes and presented their arguments for and against the matter.
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Kolomo, in the suit, had sued Sylva, APC and INEC.
He had prayed the court to determine whether Sylva was qualified to contest in the election, having occupied the office of governor of Bayelsa May 29, 2007 to April 15, 2008 and May 27, 2008 to January 27, 2012.
Kolomo had averred in the affidavit supporting the suit, that besides being an APC member, he was also a registered voter in the state.
He averred that INEC recently published the names of governorship candidates for the state, including Sylva’s name.
According to him, he was motivated by the need to vindicate Sections 180 (2)(a) and 182(1)b) of the1999 Constitution, the rule of law and to know the applicability of same as it relates to Sylva based on the above facts.
Kolomo said that the question raised by the instant suit was a constitutional one and of grave importance to him as a voter and other voters in the state, so that they would not vote for someone who was not qualified to contest in the poll and had their votes wasted at the end of the day.
Sylva asks court to dismiss suit
But Sylva, in his counter affidavit, asked the court to dismiss the suit for lacking in merit.
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He said that he was never elected as the state’s governor on two occasions.
He argued that the Appeal Court in its judgment held that the election that brought Sylva as Bayelsa governor in 2007, was null and void, while directing INEC to conduct a fresh election within 90 days.
He though admitted he was a former governor of Bayelsa, he contended that he had only been elected once as the state’s governor.
He asked the court to dismiss the suit.
APC on its part, urged the court to dismiss the suit with substantial cost.
In the preliminary objection, APC argued that Kolomo lacked locus standi to institute the suit as he was never an aspirant in the primary election that produce Sylva.
