By Uche Amunike
After releasing the list of amended names for candidates slated for the Bayelsa State governorship elections, Tuesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ensured that the uploaded names did not include Timipre Sylva. His running mate, Joshua Maciver, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was also not listed.
According to the amended list, which was signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, the column for the names of the APC candidate and his running mate was left blank with remarks of ‘court order’ on it.
For Imo State, INEC included the names of Uchechukwu Ishiodu as the candidate for the governorship election, as well as Ahumbe Chiazor as the running mate for the Peoples Redemption Party for the gubernatorial polls.
In the amended document, Oriaran-Anthony explained that the action taken by the commission was purely out of obedience to court orders on the lists that were served to INEC.
According to her, the Commission published the final list of candidates for the 2023 Bayelsa State governorship election on June 9, according to the provision of Section 32 of the Electoral Act 2022, as well as the timetable and schedule of activities for the election.
She further stated that after she published the list, INEC was served a court order concerning the nomination of the APC candidate for the Bayelsa State governorship election.
Hear her: ‘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 also recalled that in Imo State, INEC published the final list of candidates for the state governorship election on June 9, according to the provision of Section 32 of the Electoral Act 2022 and the timetable and schedule of activities for the election. After the publication, however, the Commission was served with an order of court for including the PRP and its candidate in the list of candidates that will take part in the 2023 Imo State governorship election.
She continued: ‘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.’
On October 10, the Federal High Court in Abuja disqualified Sylva from taking part in the Bayelsa State governorship election. In the judgment, Justice Donatus Okorowo ruled that Sylva had been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as the governor of Bayelsa state. Therefore, if he is allowed to contest again, he would breach the 1999 Constitution as amended.
He declared that Sylva was disqualified to run in the polls because if he won and was sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as governor of the state.
