The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has given the All Progressives Congress candidate for the Bayelsa state governorship election, Timipre Sylva, the nod to contest in the November 11 poll.
An Abuja Federal High Court had on October 9 disqualified Sylva from the contest following a suit by a member of the APC in the state, Demesuoyefa Kolomo.
Kolomo in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023, had asked the court to determine whether Sylva was qualified to contest in the election, having occupied the office of governor of Bayelsa from May 29, 2007, to April 15, 2008, and May 27, 2008 to Jan. 27, 2012.
Ruling, Justice Donatus Okorowo held that allowing Sylva to contest again would breach the provisions of the 1999 constitution, having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as a governor of the state.
The judge also said Sylva would spend more than eight years in office if allowed to participate in the election and eventually win.
Citing the case of Marwa vs Nyako at the Supreme Court, Okorowo noted that the drafters of the country’s constitution stated that nobody should be voted for as governor more than twice.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Sylva appealed and asked the court to set aside the judgment by the lower court.
