APC to appeal verdict disqualifying Sylva from Bayelsa guber race

The All Progressive Congress (APC) says it will appeal the judgment disqualifying Timipre Sylva from contesting the governorship election in Bayelsa state.

On Monday, the federal high court disqualified Sylva from participating in the governorship election billed for November 11 because he has been sworn in twice and governed Bayelsa for five years.

Donatus Okorowo, the judge, said it would be a breach of the constitution if the former minister is allowed to contest again.

In a statement on Tuesday, Perry Tukuwei, director, media and publicity of the APC Bayelsa gubernatorial campaign council, said he is confident that the court of appeal would nullify the verdict of the trial court.

“This reassurance is in reaction to a judgment which has the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate written all over it by a Federal High Court in Abuja in an already failed bid to dash the hopes of Bayelsa people to have their preferred candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva as the next helmsman at Creek Haven by Feb. 14, 2024,” he said.

“Sections 29 and 84 of the 2022 Electoral Act state that only persons who contested primaries of a political party that has the locus standi to file a pre-election matter to challenge the qualification of the party’s candidate in any election hence the suit filed by one Chief Demesuoyefa Kolomo who is not a member of the APC and didn’t contest our party’s governorship primaries do not have the locus standi to sue in the matter.

“Section 285 of the 1999 Nigerian constitution enjoins any aggrieved party to file an election matter within 14 days of the occurrence of the event but this case was filed on the 13th of June 2023 whereas INEC published the names of the governorship candidates for Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi on May 12.”

Tukuwei said the case is statute barred because it was filed outside the 14-day period.

“To perfect their sinister act, the case was filed in Abuja. Is Abuja Bayelsa?,” he said.

“Subsequently, the Bayelsa APC can smell the coffee and sinister moves by Gov. Douye Diri to go through the back door which is his usual practice having realised that our governorship candidate is coasting home to victory already following unrivalled acceptance across the state.”

The media director said residents of Bayelsa should not be deterred by the court order.