The bid of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva, to contest in the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State has suffered setback.
It was gathered that the Court of Appeal in Abuja has refused the motions by the APC and Sylva seeking to stay execution of the judgment nullifying the candidature.
Sylva filed the appeal and stay of execution following the judgement of a Federal High Court in Abuja which barred him from contesting as the APC candidate because he has served twice as governor.
In a unanimous judgment of a three-member panel of justices, Justice William Daudu, struck out the motions for lack of merit.
Early in the month, the high court had declared that Sylva was not qualified to run in the November poll because if he wins and is sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as governor of the state.
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Citing the case of Marwa vs Nyako at the Supreme Court, the court held that the drafters of the country’s constitution stated that nobody should be voted for as governor more than twice and that the parties to the suit agreed that Sylva was voted into office two times.
It further stated that the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Marwa vs Nyako that nobody can expand the constitution or its scope. So, if Sylva is allowed to contest the next election, it means a person can contest as many times as he wishes.
The suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 was filed on June 13, 2023 by Deme Kolomo, a member of the APC.
Based on the court ruling, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) excluded Sylva’s name and that of his running mate, Joshua Maciver, from the list of contestants of the November 11 exercise.
The list signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, had the column for the names of APC candidate and his running mate left blank with remarks, “Court order”.
