Politics

Bayelsa Poll: INEC Excludes Sylva’s Name From Candidates List, APC Kicks

Published

2 years ago

October 26, 2023

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has excluded the name of the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Timipre Sylva, from the final list of candidates for the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State.

The amended list, which was uploaded on the commission’s website on Tuesday, was signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.

Sighted by Vanguard yesterday, the column for the names of the APC candidate and his running mate, Joshua Maciver, was left blank with “court order” remarks on it.

According to Oriaran-Anthony, the action of the commission is in obedience to court orders on the lists, served on the commission.

Recalling that the commission published the final list of candidates for the 2023 Bayelsa 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, she said after the publication, INEC was served with an order of court in respect of the nomination of candidate of the APC for the poll.

“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 the court on the nomination of candidates by political parties in the state.

“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,’’ Oriaran-Anthony said.

On October 10, the Federal High Court in Abuja disqualified Sylva from participating in the state governorship election.

Meanwhile, The APC has said delisting its candidate, Sylva from the list of governorship election by the INEC was premature.

Mr Felix Morka, the party’s National Publicity Secretary said this in a statement in Abuja.

“This action by INEC may not be unconnected with the High Court judgement of Oct. 9 which disqualified Chief Timipre Sylva as candidate of our party.

“Our candidate and party promptly appealed that judgment and brought other processes seeking stay of the judgment’s execution.

“Recognising the extreme urgency of the matter, the Court of Appeal granted an order of accelerated hearing of the matter now fixed for definite hearing on Friday Oct. 27,” Morka said.

He added that INEC was a party in the matter and had been served with all relevant filings and orders regarding the matter.

He said that delisting APC’s candidate in the circumstances as INEC had done, was clearly premature and could preempt the outcome of the valid appeal in the matter.

He said that removing the party’s candidate from the list of governorship contestants in Bayelsa would foist a situation of helplessness on the appellate court, the candidate and the party should the appeal succeed.

Morka urged INEC to withdraw its amendment under reference in the interest of fairness.

He appealed to the people of Bayelsa, especially APC’s teeming members and supporters, to remain calm while the judicial process runs its full course.

He expressed confidence that the party’s candidate would be victorious both at the Court of Appeal and at the poll.

Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in a judgement delivered on Oct. 9, disqualified Sylva from featuring in the Nov. 11 governorship election.

Okorowo ruled that 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.
VANGUARD

Related Topics:APC Bayelsa Guber Sylva Timipre Sylva

Up Next

Ondo Deputy Gov Aiyedatiwa Begs Akeredolu, Says I Remain Loyal

Don't Miss

Edo 2024: Run, Ize-Iyamu Run – Group Mounts Pressure

Comments

Politics

What PDP Said About Wike’s Media Parley

Published

4 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, of being a constant agent of provocation in the political space, alleging that he creates trouble to mask selfish intentions.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, stated this in a statement issued on Monday in response to Wike’s media parley with selected journalists in Port Harcourt, also held on Monday.

According to the PDP, remarks made by the minister on several occasions are proof that he falls short of being a locus classicus of anti-democratic adventurism.

The party said Wike’s conduct was not new, stressing that he has consistently acted as an agent provocateur in the political arena, stirring controversy to advance personal interests.

The PDP further stated that since Wike assumed office as Governor of Rivers State in 2015, he has remained a recurrent source of trouble within the party’s leadership.

“From the Sheriff era, where he was a forerunner in the Sheriff-for-National Chairman movement and later turned to fight and remove Sheriff; later he championed the Uche Secondus-for-National Chairman movement (in fact, he granted a very combustible interview that polarized the party just before the convention) and then was the same person fighting to remove Secondus.

“The same Wike led the movement to produce Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman against the advice of many party leaders, and so soon thereafter, it was Wike again who led the Ayu-must-go struggle.

“By his end-of-year media chat, Minister Nyesom Wike has reiterated his support for, and in fact declared that he is the ‘number one supporter’ of the presumptive candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 Presidential election, while remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, confirming the basis of his expulsion from the PDP, for anti-party activities,” the statement said.

Politics

JUST IN: INEC Excludes PDP From Ekiti Governorship Election

Published

6 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election, Dr Wole Oluyede, and his deputy were conspicuously absent as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, released the provisional list of party candidates ahead of the election.

INEC on Monday posted the list of candidates from 12 political parties vying for the state’s top job at its office on New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The list shows that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is fielding the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, with Monisade Afuye as his running mate.

Other candidates include Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party, with Omoyemi Olaleye as deputy; Akande Oluwasegun of the African Action Congress, paired with Oluwasanmi Fajuyigbe; and Ayodeji Ojo of the Action Democratic Party, with Itunu Ibitoye as running mate.

Similarly, the African Democratic Congress is presenting Oluwadare Bejide and Paul Olowoyeye, while the Action Peoples Party has Bidemi Awogbemi and Akinyemi Adewumi on its ticket.

The PDP’s absence may not be unconnected with the leadership crisis currently rocking the party at the national level.

Politics

Wike Speaks On Defecting To APC

Published

10 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, dismissed any possibility of dumping the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Wike, however, disclosed that a lot of PDP leaders will join him if he decides to defect to the APC.

The Minister, who spoke during his media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said: “Today, if I say that I want to go to APC that will be the end of even talking about it.

“You will see other states, joining, leaders in other states joining, I’m not a leader that’s concentrated in the state. No.

“If today I say gentlemen, we have had enough of PDP we have to move, watch those who will decamp in Benue, Plateau, Abia, Edo.”

The Minister also declared that he is still a member of the PDP, hence Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State is unhappy.

“I’m a member of the PDP, that’s why I’m still there and Seyi is not happy. That’s not correct, that you are a member of the assembly or council Chairman or National Assembly does not mean that there is no other person,” he added.