The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, has been disqualified from contesting the November 11 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa state by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The case was filed by Deme Kolomo, a member of the APC, with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 on June 13, 2023. Justice Donatus Okorowo ruled that Sylva, who had previously been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor of the state, would breach the 1999 constitution if allowed to contest again.
The judge also declared that Sylva was not qualified to run in the November poll because if he wins and is sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as a governor. Okorowo cited the case of Marwa vs Nyako at the Supreme Court, noting that the drafters of the country’s constitution stated that nobody should be voted for as governor more than two times and that the parties to the suit agreed that Sylva was voted into office two times.
He further stated that the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Marwa vs Nyako that nobody can expand the constitution or its scope, emphasizing that if Sylva was allowed to contest the next election, a person could compete as many times as he wanted.