Tag: Sylva

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the November 11 governorship election, Timipre Sylva, has faulted his disqualification by an Abuja High Court, saying the judgment cannot stand because it is against natural justice.

He said the court matter was an indication that some persons are afraid of his rising profile and candidature ahead of the governorship polls.

Sylva, who spoke for the first time after the court ruling while campaigning in Agoro in the Ekeremor local government area on Thursday, October 12, urged the people not to be dismayed with the ruling but to be prepared to come out en masse on November 11 to cast their votes for the APC.

He promised to complete the West Senatorial road and take it to the Agge community, adding that he would resolve the non-recognition of the paramount ruler of the oil-rich community and make life easier and more rewarding for the people.

Sylva said: “Some people are afraid of the election, they are panicking, so they went and procure some jankara judgement. We want to assure you that that judgment will not stand because it is against natural justice. So just carry on, no worries at all just come out and vote for us and I assure you that the lives of the people of this community will never be the same again.

Read Also: Bayelsa: Sylva appeals judgment voiding his governorship ticket

“I know the problem of non-recognition of the traditional ruler of Agoro, that is the problem I almost resolved before I left office, this time I am coming back to resolve it permanently.

“I have also promised that since the Senatorial road has gotten to Ekeremor Town, we will continue that road from where it has stopped and take it to Agge. Every government will do something, I did that road and stopped somewhere, Seriake Dickson took it to Ekeremor and now I am going to take it to Agge Community.

“The combination of myself and Joshua Maciver is what is good for you, so on November 11, make sure that you vote for me and the APC.”

Sylva, who also took his campaign train to

Peretorugbene, Ndoro and other riverine communities in Ekeremor LGA promised to tackle the perennial flooding and erosion faced by the state, saying he had the solution to floods and erosion.

He noted: “Now we are going to do greater things, I am happy that former Governor Seriake Dickson has brought the road to Ekeremor, unfortunately, it has stopped there but I want to assure you that when we come in, we will take the road all the way to Agge. I have also promised the paramount ruler that we are going to operationalize the health centre in Peretorugbene, we are going to ensure that you have constant electricity and water

“We know of the problems of flooding, it is not peculiar to Peretorugbene alone but the entire Bayelsa State, the problem of flooding and erosion, I have the solution and I am the solution to the problem of flood and erosion.

“I tried to make life easier and better for the people when I was the governor, this time we are going to do bigger things. I always say that the greatest resource of any community or state is the human beings, we must develop and empower them, particularly women. We have plans for you, we will develop agriculture.

“Diri cannot discuss these things I am talking about, he doesn’t have a clue because he lacks experience, he spent a few days in the Senate that is all, before that the highest position he had held was a principal Secretary and before then he was a classroom teacher so where do you expect him to have the experience? But I have the experience and I will bring my wealth of experience to bear on the development of our people and Bayelsa State.”

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• Ex-minister is next governor, says APC

Former Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva has appealed Monday’s judgment by a Federal High Court, Abuja, which voided his nomination as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC)  in the November 11  governorship election in Bayelsa State.

Sylva’s party, which expressed optimism that the judgment will be overturned by the superior court, urged voters  to prepare to throw their weight behind the APCcandidate.

In a three-ground notice of appeal filed yesterday by his lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN), Sylva faulted the judgmnt by Justice Donatus Okorowo. He urged the court to set it aside and uphold his nomination.

Justice Okorowo  in the judgment  disqualified Sylva on the ground that

he  has been sworn-in twice and ruled for five years as governor of Bayelsa State.

Sylva also filed an application seeking a stay of the execution of the judgment pending the determination of his appeal.

In his notice of appeal, Sylva argued among others that the trial court erred in law and occasioned a grave miscarriage of justice when it wrongly assumed jurisdiction by delving into the internal affairs of his party, which is a non-justiciable cause of action.

Read Also: Sylva remains Bayelsa Gov candidate, APC declares

Sylva stated that the trial court has a duty to understand the case presented by the parties and apply the law correctly.

In relation to ground two, Sylva contended that the trial judge erred in law he wrongly conferred, allowed and adjudicated on the matter when the respondent (plaintiff at the trial court) has no locus standi to initiate or institute the action, having confessed not to have participated in the primary election that produced him as the governorship candidate of the APC.

Sylva also argued that the trial court breached his right to fair hearing as guaranteed by the constitution when it failed to properly evaluate, determine and pronounce on his notice of preliminary objection, with which he challenged the competence of the suit.

Assuring the party’s faithful, the APC’s Governorship Campaign Council has said that the said judgment against Sylva failed bid by PDP to dash Bayelsans hope.

It also reassured ‘Bayelsans’ of a landslide victory at the November 11, 2023 governorship election and subsequent swearing in of its governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, on February 14, 2024.

The Director, Media and Publicity, APCGCC, Perry Tukuwei, said in a statement yesterday that the reassurance was coming on the heels of a judgment which has the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate written all over it by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

He said the PDP’s action was already a failed bid to dash the hopes of Bayelsans to have their preferred candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, as the next helmsman at Creek Haven by February 14, next year.

Tukuwei, quoting Sections 29 and 84 of the 2022 Electoral Act, stated that only persons who contested primaries of a political party that have the locus standi to file a pre-election  matter to challenge the qualification of the party’s candidate in any election hence the suit filed by one Chief Demesuoyefa Kolomo, who is not a member of the APC and didn’t contest the party’s governorship primaries does not have the locus standi to sue in the matter.

He said: “Section 285 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution enjoins any aggrieved party to file an election matter within 14 days of the occurrence of the event but this case was filed on the 13th of June 2023 whereas INEC published the names of the governorship candidates for Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states on the 12th of May 2023.

“Thus, the case was filed outside the constitutional prescribed 14 days thereby making the case statute barred. It is surprising to the party and Bayelsans that the court ignored the fact that the plaintiff lacked the locus standi to sue and went ahead to give judgement in their favour.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday night insisted that Chief Timipre Sylva remains the party’s candidate in the November 11, Bayelsa Governorship election.

This declaration was contained in a statement by the party in Abuja following an Abuja Federal High Court decision on Monday that disqualified the party’s governorship candidate.

APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka in the statement, said that the party “wish to state categorically that Chief Sylva is and remains the Bayelsa State Governorship Candidate of our great Party in the November 11, 2023 Governorship election.”

The party also said it has directed its legal team to appeal the said decision of the High Court.

The statement reads in part: “Against the backdrop of an Abuja Federal High Court decision that disqualified the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva, we wish to state categorically that Chief Sylva is and remains the Bayelsa State Governorship Candidate of our great Party in the November 11, 2023 Governorship election.

Read Also: BREAKING: Sylva appeals court ruling nullifying his candidacy in Bayelsa election

“Our Party and its Candidate have duly instructed the legal team to appeal the said decision of the Federal High Court, diligently and expeditiously.

“We urge our teeming members, supporters, and residents of Bayelsa State to remain calm and await the outcome of the appeal, and we remain confident that we shall prevail.

“With nothing to offer the Bayelsa electorate, following its lacklustre performance as the ruling party, the jittery PDP in the Bayelsa state has since resorted to mercenary lawsuits, underhand dealings and antics to distract and create confusion among the good people of the state.

“We wish to reconfirm that the Party’s Governorship Campaign Flag Off will be held on Saturday, 14th October 2023 in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. All stakeholders, Party members, supporters, and the general public are cordially invited to join the winning campaign.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa state has suffered a huge blow following the defection of the Seibarugu political dynasty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The influential group in the APC, comprising thousands of members across the state, was led by a former acting governor and speaker of the House of Assembly, Werinipre Seibarugu.

At a formal declaration during a meeting with Governor Douye Diri in Government House, Yenagoa, the coordinator of the Seibarugu dynasty, Ebiye Waripamo, said they were attracted to the PDP by the governor’s leadership style that is peaceful and development-oriented.

Waripamo said after assessing Diri’s performance in almost four years, particularly the prevailing peace and security as well as the ongoing developmental projects across the state, they were left with no choice but to join hands with him to move Bayelsa forward.

He assured the governor and members of the PDP of their unalloyed commitment to the governor’s re-election on November 11, 2023.

He said: “We left Jerusalem and went to Egypt but now we are back in Jerusalem and this is where we will stay. We are not going back again.

“Your Excellency, we have seen your developmental strides in the state and we are impressed. We came back to PDP because of your leadership style.”

Also speaking, the PDP National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyengikuro, said he led members of the party in the Gbarain-Ekpetiama axis of Yenagoa Local Government Area to formally introduce the Seibarugu Dynasty to the governor.

Describing members of the group as the main opposition elements in Yenagoa constituency 2, Woyengikuro expressed optimism that by joining the PDP, the election in the constituency will be a walkover for the ruling party.

In his remarks, the state PDP chairman, Solomon Agwana, welcomed the group and assured them that the members would not be discriminated against.

Responding, Governor Douye Diri expressed appreciation to the leader of the Seibarugu Dynasty and described Chief Seibarugu as a man of conviction and integrity.

He commended his decision to return to the PDP with thousands of his supporters.

Read Also: Kano APC slams NNPP over eight-man London protest

Diri said the APC in the state was a deceitful party that does not mean well for its development, saying its candidate, a former governor, had nothing reasonable to show for his time in office.

In a related development, Diri warned that any traditional ruler who allowed election violence in his domain would be deposed.

He gave the warning when he led the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship campaign team on a visit to the palace of the Okpo XXI of Okpoama Kingdom, King Ebitimi Banigo, at Okpoama in Brass Local Government Area of the state.

While thanking the Okpoama monarch, the council of chiefs, and other stakeholders for their royal blessings and warm reception, he urged them to sustain the prevailing peace in the state before, during, and after the election.

There is  tension in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, over the resumed hearing of the substantive suit filed against the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate, Great Joshua MacIver.

 It is  over his alleged ineligibility to contest the November 11 governorship poll.

A female governorship aspirant of the APC, Isikima Johnson, who also participated and lost at the party’s governorship primaries to , Chief Timipre Sylva, is challenging the eligibility of Maciver.

She sought his disqualification  on the alleged grounds that he is an ex-convict who was sentenced to 10-year prison term for terrorism and sea piracy but escaped from prison without completing his sentence.

In  the suit, the APC was listed as the first defendant. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chief Timipre Sylva and Joshua MacIver as second, third and fourth defendants.

This is just as a civil society group, Coalition for Social Justice and Equity Initiative (CSJEI), has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the  Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP),   and a candidate of another party   allegedly engaging  in secret negotiation to insert the name of Maciver into the PAP’s database and tender it as an affidavit to back it up in the court.

Read Also: Court clears Sylva to run for Bayelsa governor

The group, in a statement yesterday called on the Presiding Judge, Justice Olaide Quadiri and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to be on the red alert over the development.

 The Public Relations Officer, CSJEI, Ezra Areo, said: “Information at our disposal has revealed that the duo are plotting to insert the name of the embattled running mate, Joshua Maciver into the Amnesty beneficiaries’ platform and are planning to submit an affidavit to that effect to the court.

“We are calling on the presiding judge and the IGP to be aware that the document to be tendered is fake and an attempt to lie on oath. Joshua Maciver has long been verified not to be on the list of Amnesty beneficiaries.”

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to disqualify a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipire Sylva from participating in the forthcoming governorship election in Bayelsa State.

To this end, the court has  cleared the candidate to stand for the governorship election in November 11.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment on Tuesday, held that, the plaintiff – Hon. Isikima Johnson failed to prove her case that the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not conduct valid governorship primary election from which Sylva emerged as the party’s candidate.

The judgment was on the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/575/2023 filed by Hon. Isikima Johnson, with APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Sylva as defendants.

Justice Ekwo also rejected the police report relied on by the plaintiff, and  held that it was not the duty of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to monitor the conduct of political parties’ primary elections.

“The conduct of party primaries is not a police case unless and until a criminal act is committed in the process of such party primaries,” the Judge said.

According to Ekwo, Sylva and the APC presented convincing evidence that the party held a valid primary election.

Read Also: Bayelsa poll: Court to deliver judgment in suit seeking Sylva’s disqualification Tuesday

The Judge added: “Upon considering the facts of this case and the documentary evidence tendered by the plaintiff, I find that the plaintiff’s case is weak and has not been proved upon preponderance of evidence as required by law.

“The plaintiff has failed to give this court such evidence that is capable of creating a doubt in the mind of the court that the governorship primary election of the 1st defendant in Bayelsa State did not hold on 14th April, 2023 or even if it did hold, it was not conducted in accordance with the party’s guidelines.

“I find upon the evidence before me that the governorship primary of the 1st defendant was conducted on 14th April, 2023 in accordance with the Party Guidelines

“I find in the end that the plaintiff has not proved this case upon preponderance of evidence as required by law. The case therefore fails for lacking in merit.

“Consequently, I make an order dismissing the case of the Plaintiff for lacking in merit,” the Judge said.