The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has recently released amended lists of candidates for the Bayelsa and Imo state governorship elections.
According to the updated list, which was uploaded on INEC’s website on Tuesday, the name of Timipre Sylva and his running mate, Joshua Maciver, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were not included in the Bayelsa election. The column for the names of the APC candidate and his running mate was left blank, with “court order” remarks. INEC’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, signed the list.
For Imo, INEC included the names of Uchechukwu Ishiodu as the governorship candidate and Ahumbe Chiazor as the running mate for the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) for the state election.
Ms Oriaran-Anthony, in the amended document, explained that INEC’s action was in obedience to court orders. She recalled that INEC published the final list of candidates for the 2023 Bayelsa governorship election on June 9, in accordance with section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022, and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Election. She said that after the publication, INEC was served with an order of court regarding the nomination of a candidate of the APC for the Bayelsa governorship election.
“By virtue of the provision of section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the commission is bound to enforce the orders of court on the nomination of candidates by political parties in the state,” said Ms Oriaran-Anthony. “The amended list of candidates in respect of the 2023 Bayelsa State governorship election is hereby amended pursuant to the orders of court served on the commission.”
Similarly, for Imo, Ms Oriaran-Anthony recalled that INEC published the final list of candidates for the state governorship election on June 9, in accordance with the provision of section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022, and the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Election. After the publication, the commission was served with an Order of Court for the inclusion of the PRP and its candidate on the list of candidates for the 2023 Imo state governorship election.
“By virtue of the provision of section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the commission is bound to enforce the orders of court on the nomination of candidates by political parties in the state,” said Ms Oriaran-Anthony. “The amended list of candidates in respect of the 2023 Imo state governorship election is hereby amended pursuant to the orders of court served on the commission.”
The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on October 10, disqualified Mr Sylva from participating in the Bayelsa governorship poll. Justice Donatus Okorowo ruled that Mr 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. The judge also declared that Mr Sylva was not qualified to run in the November poll because if he won and was sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as state governor.
In Imo, at the Owerri Division of the Federal High Court in suit number FHC/OW/CS/35/2023 – PRP & Anor v. INEC, amongst others, ordered INEC to include the name of the PRP governorship candidate in the list of nominated candidates already published on INEC website.