Bayelsa APC Files Appeal Against Judgement Disqualifying Sylva
After being sworn in twice and serving as governor for five years, Justice Donatus Okorowo decided on Monday that allowing Sylva to run for office again would be a violation of the 1999 constitution as amended.
The party, however, claimed that the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) complaint was illegal under the Electoral Act in a statement released on Tuesday by Perry Tukuwei, Director, Media and Publicity for the APC Bayelsa Governorship Campaign Council.
“The Party has briefed its lawyers to appeal the judgement and it is confident that the Court of Appeal will overturn the judgement of the Federal High Court,” the statement read. “Have no fear, my fellow Bayelanese!
The PDP’s covert campaign to unseat Chief Timipre Sylva as governor of Bayelsa State should not dampen support for him. For the complete statement, see below:
The Bayelsa All Progressives Congress Gubernatorial Campaign Council has reassured the people of Bayelsa that its candidate for governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, will win by a landslide in the next November 11, 2023 elections and be sworn in as governor on February 14, 2024.
This reassurance follows a Federal High Court in Abuja’s ruling that the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate will not be able to prevent Chief Timipre Sylva, the people of Bayelsa’s top choice for governor, from taking office on February 14, 2024.
Chief Demesuoyefa Kolomo, who is not a member of the All Progressives Congress and who did not challenge our party’s governorship primaries, does not have the locus standi to sue in the matter, as only persons who contested primaries of a political party have the locus standi to file a pre-
election matter to challenge the qualification of the party’s candidate in any election. For example, INEC published the names of the governorship candidates for Bayelsa, IMO, and Kogi on the 12th of May 2023, but this case was filed on the 13th of June 2023, violating Section 285 of the 1999 Nigerian constitution. Therefore, the case is time-barred since it was not submitted within the constitutionally required 14 days.
The court’s decision to rule in favour of the plaintiff notwithstanding the absence of locus standi has surprised the party and the people of Bayelsa.
The Supreme Court has also issued a practise instruction stating that any cases arising prior to an election must be adjudicated in the jurisdiction where the primary were held.
The complaint was filed in Abuja as the last touch to their nefarious plan. Is Bayelsa Abuja? In light of our governorship candidate Chief Timipre Sylva’s unrivalled acceptance in the eight local government areas of the state, the Bayelsa All Progressives Congress can smell the coffee and see the sinister move by Governor Douye Diri to go through the back door, which is his usual practise.
The Party has already instructed its attorneys to file an appeal, and its members are sure that the Court of Appeal will reverse the Federal High Court’s decision. Don’t be afraid, fellow Bayelians!
We must not let the PDP’s covert campaign to unseat Chief Timipre Sylva as governor of Bayelsa State weaken our determination. Our team is unbeatable.