Bayelsa Poll: Embattled Sylva tells INEC to withdraw amended candidates' list ahead

Bayelsa Poll: Embattled Sylva tells INEC to withdraw amended candidates’ list ahead

Timipre Sylva, the embattled governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress at the Bayelsa Governorship election, has taken a significant step by reaching out to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking the prompt revision of the modified candidates’ list for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State scheduled for November 11.

In a formal letter addressed to INEC and submitted through his legal counsel, Mr Sylva, the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources raised concerns of perceived bias on the part of the electoral body. The crux of the matter revolves around Sylva’s name being conspicuously absent from the revised list of candidates unveiled by INEC on a recent Wednesday.

The basis for this omission stems from the earlier disqualification of the former Bayelsa Governor by Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on October 9, 2023. Justice Okorowo’s ruling was grounded in the interpretation of constitutional provisions. He posited that permitting Sylva to contest the election would contravene the 1999 constitution, as amended, due to Sylva’s prior two terms as governor and five years of service in that capacity. The judge further argued that Sylva’s participation in the November poll would potentially lead to his spending more than the constitutionally stipulated eight years as governor of the state.

Dissatisfied with this legal verdict, Sylva initiated an appeal process through his legal representative, Raji, contesting the court’s decision. However, during the pendency of the appeal, INEC issued a revised list of candidates for the upcoming election, notably excluding the name of the APC candidate.

In the letter directed to INEC and presented by his legal counsel, Sylva conveyed his astonishment at the electoral body’s decision to release the revised candidate list despite the ongoing appeal process against the original court judgment that served as the basis for INEC’s actions. He respectfully implored INEC to reconsider its stance and withdraw the amended list in light of these developments.