The candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State, Mr Timipre Sylva, has said he was never elected as the state’s governor on two occasions.
Sylva, who is the immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum, refuted the allegations that he was previously elected as Bayelsa governor on April 14, 2007 and May 24, 2008.
He stated this in a counter affidavit he personally deposed to and filed by his lawyer, Adelani Ajibade, before Justice Donatus Okorowo of a Federal High Court, Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the application was in reaction to the originating summons filed by Chief Demesuoyefa Kolomo, a member of the APC, in which he prayed the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission to delete Sylva’s name from the list of candidates contesting the governorship poll.
Kolomo had asked the court to determine “whether having regard to the indisputable fact that Sylva occupied the office of governor of Bayelsa from May 29, 2007 to April 15, 2008 and May 27, 2008 to January 27, 2012, he is qualified to contest and be elected for another four years term in view of Section 180 (2) (a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
Reacting in the counter affidavit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/821/23 dated and filed June 27, 2023, the ex-minister averred that except otherwise expressly stated, all the facts deposed to in the application were within his personal knowledge, information and belief.
Although Sylva admitted he was a former governor of Bayelsa, he stressed that he had only been elected once, insisting that there was no election in 2007.
He stated, “I have only occupied the office of the governor of Bayelsa State on one occasion. I was elected as the governor of Bayelsa State on May 27, 2008.
“Contrary to paragraph 5 of the affidavit (attached to the originating summons), I know that by virtue of the Court of Appeal judgment referred to that is now reported as Amgbare Vs. Sylva (2009) 1 NWLR (Pt. 1121), there was no election in Bayelsa State in 2007.”
The former minister, therefore, said that he was within his constitutional and legal right to contest the governorship poll in November.
According to him, the provision of Sections 180 (2)(a) and 182 (1) (b) of the Constitution is not applicable to him in the circumstance and cannot validly and legally disqualify him from contesting election into the office of governor of Bayelsa State.
He said he was validly elected on April 15, defeating five other aspirants in a primary poll that was keenly contested and monitored by INEC.
Sylva said on May 12, his name was published by INEC as the APC candidate.
