Bayelsa guber race: Court disqualifies Timipre Sylva

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, disqualified Chief Timipre Sylva, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State.

Justice Donatus Okorowo who sacked the former Minister of State for Petroleum, 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.

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Ruling on the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 filed on June 13, 2023 by a chieftain of the APC in the state, Deme Kolomo, Okorowo 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.

The judge who cited the case of Marwa vs Nyako at the Supreme Court, noted that the drafters of the Nigerian 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.