Bayelsa gov: Crisis brews as APC chieftain storms court to stop Sylva from contesting

Demesuoyefa Kolomo, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has prayed the Federal High Court in Abuja to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delete the name of Timipre Sylva, former minister of State for Petroleum, from the list of candidates contesting the 11 November governorship election in Bayelsa.

The case

Mr Kolomo told Justice Donatus Okorowo in a suit filed by his lawyer, Abiodun Amuda-Kannike, SAN.

In the originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 dated and filed June 13, Mr Kolomo sued Mr Sylva, APC and INEC as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively.

He sought two questions for determination.

These include whether having regard to the indisputable facts that Mr Sylva was elected to the office of governor of Bayelsa on two previous occasions; April 14, 2007, and May 24, 2008, he was qualified to contest the 11 November election in view of Section 82 (1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“Whether having regard to the indisputable fact that Sylva occupied the office of governor of Bayelsa May 29, 2007 to April 15, 2008 and May 27, 2008 to Jan. 27, 2012, he is qualified to contest and be elected to the office of governor of Bayelsa for another four years term in view of Section 180(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”

Mr Kolomo, therefore, sought a declaration that by virtue of Section 182(1)\(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Mr Sylva was not qualified to contest the election to the Office of the Governor of Bayelsa on the APC platform or on any other political party’s platform in the election.

He also sought an order directing INEC to remove Mr Sylva’s name from the list of the contestants into the Office of the Governor of Bayelsa on the APC platform or any other political party’s platform in the 11 November election or any other time for that matter as he was not qualified to contest the said poll.

He said Sylva was reelected on May 24, 2008, and assumed office as governor on May 27, 2008 until January 27, 2012.

He said INEC recently published the names of governorship candidates for the state, including Mr Sylva’s name.

The plaintiff said he was motivated by the need to vindicate Sections 180 (2)(a) and 182(1)b) of the1999 Constitution, the rule of law and to know the applicability of the same as it relates to Sylva based on the above facts.

Mr Kolomo also averred that the question raised by the instant suit was a constitutional one and of grave importance to him as a voter and other voters in the state so that they would not vote for someone who was not qualified to contest in the poll and had their votes wasted at the end of the day.

When the matter came up for mention, Mr Amuda-Kannike informed the court that APC and INEC had been served while the bailiff was unable to serve Mr Sylva.

“We, therefore, filed a motion for substituted service,” the lawyer said.

He said the motion, dated 19 June and filed on the same date, was brought pursuant to Order 6, Rule 5 of the court.

Justice Okorowo, who granted the application, adjourned the matter until June 26 for a hearing.

Background

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Sylva served as Bayelsa’s governor on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s platform.

The former minister had, in 2006, joined the PDP governorship primaries challenging ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, who, at that time, was vying for the same position.

However, after Mr Sylva emerged as the PDP candidate, he went on to win the election in 2007. He succeeded Jonathan, who had also become the Vice President to late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

But Sylva’s opponent in the 2007 election, Ebitimi Amgbare of the defunct Action Congress (AC), challenged his victory.

While the Bayelsa State Election Petitions Tribunal upheld Mr Sylva’s election, Mr Amgbare took the matter to the Appeal Court, Port Harcourt in Rivers State, which overturned the tribunal’s decision and nullified Mr Sylva’s election on April 15, 2008.

The five justices of the Court of Appeal were unanimous in their decision. They ordered that Speaker Werinipre Seibarugo be sworn in to replace Mr Sylva as acting governor, with a new election to be held within 90 days, as stated in the Electoral Act.

When a new election was held on May 24, 2008, Mr Sylva was again overwhelmingly elected, with 588,204 out of about 598,000 votes and was sworn in.

But on January 27, 2012, his tenure was terminated by the Supreme Court, with an acting governor appointed to oversee the state until the election of February 2012, won by Seriake Dickson. Premium Times