The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed its concerns over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to remove its candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, from the list of candidates for the upcoming Bayelsa governorship election, slated for November 11.
Mr. Felix Morka, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, conveyed this in a statement from Abuja, asserting that INEC’s action appeared to be premature. He highlighted the background of the situation, stating, “The attention of the APC has been drawn to the updated list of gubernatorial candidates for the Nov. 11 governorship election in Bayelsa by INEC, which excluded our candidate’s name, Chief Timipre Sylva.”
Morka explained that this decision by INEC could be linked to a High Court judgment on October 9 that disqualified Chief Timipre Sylva as the party’s candidate. However, he stressed that the APC and their candidate had promptly appealed the judgment and initiated other processes to seek a stay of the judgment’s execution.
Recognizing the urgency of the matter, the Court of Appeal granted an order for an accelerated hearing, which is now scheduled for a definite hearing on Friday, October 27. This implies that the matter is still pending and awaiting a final legal resolution, making INEC’s exclusion of Timipre Sylva appear premature in the eyes of the APC.
