Guber polls: INEC excludes Sylva from Bayelsa candidates’ list

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released amended lists of candidates for Bayelsa and Imo governorship elections.

According to the amended list uploaded on the commission’s website on Tuesday, the name of Timipre Sylva and his running mate, Joshua Maciver of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were not included for Bayelsa election.

The list was signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.

The column for the names of APC candidate and his running mate were left blank with “court order” remarks on it.

Also for Imo, the commission included the names of Uchechukwu Ishiodu as governorship candidate and Ahumbe Chiazor as the running mate, for Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) 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 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 said publication, the commission was served with an order of court in respect of the nomination of candidate of the APC for Bayelsa governorship election.

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“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 court on 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.

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on October 10, disqualified Sylva from participating in the state governorship election.

Justice Donatus Okorowo, in the judgement, ruled that Sylva having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor of Bayelsa 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 November poll because if he won and sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as governor of the state.

The Star