Why Court Disqualified APC Governorship Candidate, Timipre Sylva

CHUKA UBAH 

The Federal High Court in FCT, Abuja, has disqualified the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, from contesting the November 11 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the case, with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023, was filed on 13th June, 2023, by Deme Kolomo, a member of the APC.

The Presiding Judge, Honourable Justice Donatus Okorowo, ruled that Timipre Sylva, having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as the governor of the state, would breach the 1999 Constitution as amended if allowed to contest again.

The judge also declared that Chief Sylva was not qualified to run in the November 11 poll because if he wins and is sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as governor.

Citing the case of Marwa vs Nyako at the Supreme Court, Justice Okorowo noted that the drafters of the Nigerian Constitution stated that nobody should be voted for as governor more than two times and that the parties to the suit agreed that Chief Timipre Sylva was voted into office two times.

He further stated that the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Marwa vs Nyako that nobody can expand the Constitution or its scope, stressing that if Chief Sylva was allowed to contest the next election, a person could compete as many times as he wanted.