Court Clears Last Hurdle On Bayelsa APC Gov’hip Ticket

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, has cleared the immediate-past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipreye Sylva, to contest the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State amid the petition filed by  Hon. Isikima Ogbomade Johnson seeking to disallow his ticket.

Honourable Justice B. O. Quadri, the presiding judge, declared during Tuesday’s ruling that the matter was statute-barred.

According to a statement released by the Bayelsa State APC Publicity Secretary, Dofie Buokoribo. the court was effectively without jurisdiction to consider it.

APC member Johnson filed the lawsuit, according to Buokoribo, alleging unlawful primary election conduct and asserting that APC’s deputy governorship candidate, Maciver, was unfit to be on the ballot.

Johnson ran in the state’s April APC governorship primary but lost.

Johnson said that Maciver had lied under oath on his candidature documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about having been convicted by a court in the past.

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“But ruling in the case, with suit no: FHC/YNG/CS/114/2023, Justice Quadri held that the suit against Maciver was statute barred, having been filed outside the statutory 14 days on the occurrence of the matter for which Johnson was suing.

The decision essentially removes the final obstacle facing the APC in advance of the governorship race on November 11.

“The lawsuit brought against our deputy governorship candidate by proxy supporters of those who doubt the Bayelsa people’s right to free will at the polls and believe they can sway the outcome has once again failed,” Buokoribo continued. This attempt, like the others, has failed to stop us.

“We thank Bayelsa people for their confidence in APC expressed by their overwhelming support throughout the period of the case.

“Bayelsa has won again.”