BRAKING: Court disqualifies Timipre Sylva from Bayelsa governorship race

The Federal High Court in Abuja has disqualified Timipre Sylva, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), from participating in the forthcoming Bayelsa State gubernatorial election scheduled for November 11.

Justice Donatus Okorowo, delivering the ruling last night, stated that Sylva’s candidacy would violate the 1999 constitution as amended due to his prior terms as governor, having been sworn in twice and serving for a total of five years in that capacity This Day reports. 

The judge emphasized that permitting Sylva to run in the upcoming election would exceed the stipulated eight-year limit for a governor’s tenure, as outlined in the constitution. Referring to the Supreme Court case of Marwa vs Nyako, Justice Okorowo highlighted the constitutional provision that restricts an individual from being elected as governor more than twice.

He noted that both parties in the case acknowledged that Sylva had previously been elected as governor on two occasions.

Furthermore, the judge underlined the Supreme Court’s precedent in Marwa vs Nyako, emphasizing that the constitution’s boundaries cannot be expanded.

Alluding to the potential implications of allowing Sylva to contest multiple times, Justice Okorowo emphasized that this decision serves to uphold the constitutional framework and its intended limitations on gubernatorial terms.