The Federal High Court, Abuja, has ruked that the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, is not qualified under the Nigerian Constitution to contest the November 11 guber election in Bayelsa state.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023, filed on June 13, 2023, by Deme Kolomo, a member of the APC, Justice Donatus Okorowo ruled that Sylva, held that having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor of the state, the 1999 constitution would be breached if allowed to contest again.
The judge also declared that Sylva was not qualified to run in the November poll because if he wins and is sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as governor.
The judge cited the case of Marwa vs Nyako at the Supreme Court, Okorowo noted, saying 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.
He also stated that the Supreme Court held in the case of Marwa vs Nyako that nobody can expand the constitution or its scope, stressing that if Sylva was allowed to contest the next election, a person could compete as many times as he wanted.