₦airaland Forum

The Federal High Court in Abuja has disqualified the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva, from contesting the November 11 election in Bayelsa State.

The ruling was delivered on Monday by Justice Donatus Okorowo.

Okorowo ruled that Sylva, having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor of the state, would breach the 1999 constitution as amended if allowed to contest again.

The judge stated that Sylva was not qualified to run in the forthcoming November poll because he would have spent more than eight years in office as governor of the state if he wins and is sworn in.

While citing the case of Marwa vs Nyako at the Supreme Court, Okorowo maintained 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.

According to the judge, the Supreme Court has also ruled in the case of Marwa vs Nyako that nobody can expand the constitution or its scope.

It held that if Sylva was allowed to contest the next election, it meant a person could contest as many times as he wanted.

Hoelujohn:
The poster above, u wicked sha. That ruling will be overturned at the supreme court. No shaking

tishbite42:
Ayam not understanding

Ok
Sylva took over from Jonathan and also won an election
The law is right on this one

Hoelujohn:
The poster above, u wicked sha. That ruling will be overturned at the supreme court. No shaking

jumper524:
its a very simple case, you can't do three tenure as a Governor.
Sylva has already started his second tenure in 2007 till he was removed in 2008.

He has no business with governorship again.

kokoA:
But GEJ finished Late. Yaradua's tenure, contested in 2011 and won and recontested in 2015 with no issues.

Addme:
That case is dead on arrival.
He was never a governor in the eye of the law in 2007. Just like Ihedioha. He was never a governor
He may not win the election but he will contest that governorship election.

AAA593:
Ruling or no Ruling, Diri Don win d election. Everywhere u go na Diri. Even him local government self. We dey on ground dey see things

Hoelujohn:
Tinubu has the final say on who becomes the governor

Usmanovic95:
I have a contrary opinion to this, I think the law is inconsistent at best.
The same law was silent when Good luck Jonathan contested 2015 election.
Don't you think he would have stayed longer than the 8years if he had won that election?