The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja, has restored Timipre Sylva as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State.
Naija News reports the Appeal Court on Tuesday, upheld Sylva’s appeal against the earlier High Court order which sacked him from the race.
A three-member panel of the appellate court held, in a judgment on Tuesday, October 31, that the Federal High Court, Abuja lacked the jurisdiction to have heard and determined the case filed by Demesuoyefa Kolomo, who described himself as a registered voter and a member of the APC.
According to the appellate court, Kolomo was not a contestant for the APC guber ticket, hence does not have the locus standi to initiate the suit against Sylva’s candidacy.
The court also awarded N1million cost in favour of Sylva.
Commenting on the development, the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru wrote via his account on the X platform that Sylva is back in the race.
“Sylva is back in the race for Bayelsa as the Court of Appeal upheld his appeal,” he wrote.
Recall Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, disqualified Timipre Sylva as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State for the November 11 polls.
He gave the verdict in a judgement delivered on Monday 9th October in the suit filed on June 13, 2023, by a member of the APC, Deme Kolomo against Sylva’s candidacy.
Delivering judgement in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023, Okorowo held that allowing Sylva to contest the November 11 governorship polls would be against the constitution of the country which states that no person should be voted for as a governor more than twice.
The Judge explained that Sylva having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor of Bayelsa would breach the 1999 constitution as amended if allowed to contest again.
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