The Federal High Court in Abuja has disqualified Chief Timipre Sylva, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), from participating in the forthcoming November 11 election in Bayelsa State. This decision was handed down on Monday by Justice Donatus Okorowo.
Justice Okorowo’s ruling cited the breach of the 1999 Constitution as amended, stating that Sylva, having previously served two terms and ruled for five years as governor of the state, would exceed the constitutional limit if allowed to contest again. The judge emphasized that allowing Sylva to run for the governorship election would mean he could potentially spend more than eight years in office if elected and sworn in.
Drawing from the precedent set in the case of Marwa vs. Nyako at the Supreme Court, Justice Okorowo underscored that the drafters of the Nigerian constitution clearly stated that no individual should be eligible to run for the position of governor more than two times. In this particular case, all parties involved in the suit agreed that Sylva had previously been elected into office twice.
