APC vows to challenge court’s decision disqualifying Timipre Sylva in Bayelsa guber race

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced its intention to contest the recent disqualification of its Bayelsa gubernatorial candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, from the upcoming November 11 election.

Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered the judgment on Monday, disqualifying Sylva from participating in the gubernatorial election. The judge’s ruling was based on the grounds that Sylva, who had previously served as Bayelsa’s governor for two terms, would violate the 1999 constitution as amended if allowed to contest again.

In response to this development, Mr. Perry Tukuwei, the Director of Media and Publicity for the APC Bayelsa Gubernatorial Campaign Council, issued a statement in Yenagoa on Tuesday.

“The party has instructed its legal team to appeal the judgment, and we are confident that the Court of Appeal will overturn the Federal High Court’s decision,” Tukuwei stated.

He expressed concerns about the ruling, suggesting it favored the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, even though it was based on a lawsuit brought by someone who wasn’t a member of the APC and hadn’t contested the party’s gubernatorial primaries.

Tukuwei also pointed out that the case was filed outside the constitutional timeframe, as Section 285 of the 1999 Nigerian constitution mandates that election-related matters should be filed within 14 days of the event. In this case, the lawsuit was filed on June 13, 2023, while INEC had already published the names of the gubernatorial candidates for Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi on May 12.

Furthermore, the APC official emphasized that the court’s decision contradicted a Supreme Court directive that pre-election matters should be heard in the state where party primaries occurred. This particular case, however, was filed in Abuja.

Tukuwei concluded by saying, “Our dear people of Bayelsa, fear not! This clandestine strategy by the PDP should not deter the resolve to elect Sylva as the next Governor of Bayelsa; we will win.” The APC remains determined to challenge the court’s ruling and continue its campaign efforts in Bayelsa.