Timipre Sylva in trouble as Inec omit’s name from candidates list

Timipre Sylva, the All Progressives Congress’s candidate for governor of Bayelsa State in the upcoming election on November 11, was removed off the official list of candidates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Yesterday, Secretary to the Commission Rose Oriaran-Anthony signed off on an updated list that was posted to the commission’s website.

According to Channels TV, a reporter has seen a ballot with the names of the APC candidate and his running companion, Joshua Maciver, crossed out and the words “court order” written next to them.

Oriaran-Anthony claims that the commission acted in accordance with the court instructions on the lists that were served on the commission.

She said that after INEC published the final list of candidates for the 2023 Bayelsa State Governorship Election on June 9 as required by Section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Election, the commission was given a court order regarding the nomination of the APC’s candidate for the election.

Oriaran-Anthony cited Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to justify the Commission’s obligation to carry out the court’s directives regarding the nomination of candidates by political parties in the state.

In accordance with the court orders filed on the commission, the “Amended list of candidates in respect of the 2023 Bayelsa State governorship election is hereby amended.”

Sylva was barred from running for governor of the state by the Federal High Court in Abuja on October 10.

After been sworn in twice and serving as governor for five years, Justice Okorowo decided that allowing Sylva to run again would be a violation of the 1999 constitution as modified.

The judge ruled that Sylva could not participate in the upcoming election since he would serve as governor for more than eight years if he were to be elected.

However, the APC in Bayelsa State has said that it will challenge the Federal High Court’s decision to dismiss Timipre Sylva as their candidate for governor.

Perry Tukuwei, director of media and publicity for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bayelsa Governorship Campaign Council, said that the PDP’s lawsuit violated the Electoral Act.