Television Nigerian

The Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Donatus Okorowo, rendered a decision on Monday that banned APC candidate Timipre Sylva from the state’s November 11 polls. The All Progressives Congress Gubernatorial Campaign Council in Bayelsa State has responded to this development.

The Bayelsa people were guaranteed by the council a resounding win at the polls in a statement released on Tuesday by Perry Tukuwei, Director of Media and Publicity.

In a lawsuit filed on June 13, 2023, by APC member Deme Kolomo under the case number FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023, Okorowo rendered the decision.

After being sworn in twice and serving as governor of Bayelsa for five years, he determined that allowing Sylva to run for office again would violate the 1999 constitution as modified.
Sylva would serve as the state’s governor for more than eight years if he were to win and take office, according to the judge, who also ruled that Sylva was ineligible to run in the November election.

The parties to the lawsuit acknowledged that Sylva was elected twice, and Okorowo cited the Supreme Court case Marwa v. Nyako to highlight this point. The country’s constitutional drafters had stipulated that no candidate should be elected governor more than twice.

In the Marwa v. Nyako case, the Supreme Court decided that no one may amend or broaden the constitution, he said. Therefore, it follows that Sylva is free to run for office again as long as he so chooses in the upcoming election.
The decision was called “an already 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, 2024” by the APC campaign council.

The party affirmed that it will appeal the decision, stating that it was certain the appellate court would reverse the decision after briefing its attorneys.

“On account of Sections 29 and 84 of the 2022 Electoral Act, only individuals who participated in a political party’s primary are eligible to file a pre-election matter challenging the eligibility of the party’s candidate in any election. As a result, the lawsuit filed by Chief Demesuoyefa Kolomo, who is not affiliated with the All Progressives Congress and did not participate in our party’s governorship primary, lacks the necessary standing to pursue legal action in this regard.

According to Section 285 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, any party that feels wronged must file a complaint or contest an election within 14 days of the incident. However, this case was filed on June 13, 2023, even though INEC released the names of the candidates for governor of Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi on May 12, 2023. Consequently, the complaint is statute barred because it was brought beyond the 14-day period stipulated by the constitution. The parties and residents of Bayelsa are surprised that the court decided to grant their request for judgment notwithstanding the plaintiff’s lack of locus standi.

Read Also: Abia govt reveals plans to reopen Ojukwu Bunker, other museums.

Furthermore, all pre-election cases must be tried in the state where the primaries were held, according to a Supreme Court practice direction. The complaint was filed in Abuja to complete their evil deed. Abuja, Bayelsa, is it?

“Therefore, realizing that our candidate for governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, is already coasting to victory after receiving unparalleled acceptance in the state’s eight local government areas, the Bayelsa All Progressives Congress can smell the coffee and sinister move by Governor Douye Diri to go through the back door, which is his usual practice.

“The Party is certain that the Court of Appeal will reverse the decision of the Federal High Court, and it has briefed its lawyers to appeal the judgment.”

Ondo State Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa announced before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday that he was dropping the action he had brought to prevent the Ondo State House of Assembly from impeaching him.

The Ondo State Governor, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Chief Judge of Ondo State, the House of Assembly, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Department of State Services were among the other defendants in the lawsuit with the filing number FHC/ABJ/CS/1294/2023.

During the Monday hearing, Mr. Ebun-olu Adegboruwa (SAN), Aiyedatiwa’s attorney, informed the court that the deputy governor wanted to drop the lawsuit as a result of the All Progressives Congress leadership’s intervention in the case.

The SAN said that on October 6, Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, established a reconciliation committee to settle the disagreement between some of the lawsuit’s parties.

Read Also: Aiyedatiwa fills in while Akeredolu is absent due to illness

According to Adegboruwa, the APC leadership’s attempts at reconciliation may be thwarted if the legal processes continue.

He further mentioned that on October 3, 2023, the Ondo State House of Assembly filed a petition against Justice Emeka Nwite, the sitting judge, with the National Judicial Council.

He asked the court to hold off on taking any action until after the NJC made its ruling about the petition.

Adegboruwa was challenged by the attorneys representing the Ondo State governor, Kazeem Gbadamosi (SAN), and the chief judge, Mutalib Ojo (SAN), who asked the court to proceed with the case.

Femi Emodamori, the Assembly’s attorney, stated in his submission that the Ondo Assembly had previously abandoned its lawsuit against the judge.

Judge Nwite postponed making a decision until October 6.

In the lawsuit, Aiyedatiwa requested an order of temporary injunction prohibiting Akeredolu, his employees, or privies from threatening, harassing, or dehumanizing him and from interfering with his ability to perform the duties of his position as Ondo State’s deputy governor.

In order to hear the substantive case, the court accepted his petitions and postponed the hearing to Monday.

Yahaya Ododo, a former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ankpa Local Government Area, has resigned his party membership and joined the Action Alliance, saying his decision was based on the need to enshrine equity, fairness, and justice in Kogi state’s governorship history.

This was stated in a statement published by Yahaya Ododo in Lokoja on Monday morning.

In his remarks, Omale, a retired military commander, stated that the current administration in Kogi State arrived at Lugard House by chance, and that it is now the time for Kogi-West to produce the next governor of the State.

According to him, only Otunba Braimoh has a comprehensive manifesto that can bring the state out of the poverty that has plagued it for years.

Read Also:

APC extends membership registration in Ogun, Kwara, two others

APC Wins 10 States In Governorship Tribunal, PDP 11, LP 1

Governor Yahaya Bello is one of the aspirants who should not have entered the race to succeed Buhari in 2023

Kogi Gov. Yahaya Bello names auditor general Ahmed Ododo as his successor

“I have been in Kogi State politics for a long time, I have worked for the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo, former Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Olushola Akanmode, and we are ready to work for you,” the statement reads in part.

“The party has continued to receive decampees from various parties, including Hon. Samuel Omale, a stalwart of the PDP in Ojoku Ward, and his teaming supporters.” In addition, some members of the All Progressives Congress defected to AA, declaring their commitment to the governorship candidate’s wealth building proposal.” He stated.

In the same vein, Mr Samuel Omale, a former PDP veteran in Ojoku ward who recently joined AA, tasked the new members with canvassing support for Otunba Olayinka Braimoh and his running companion, Alhaji Yahaya Tijani Imam, in the nooks and crannies of the local government.

Braimoh responded by telling the new party members and supporters during the defection ceremony that he is on a mission to lift Kogi State and its people out of poverty through his STAT Agenda, which covers Solid Minerals Development, Trade, Agriculture, Trade, and Tourism.

He went on to say that his agenda for the state will put food on everyone’s table, stressing that Kogi state is not supposed to be poor because it has great human and natural resources.

He enlisted the Ankpa electorate’s help in his attempt to lift the state out of poverty.

Ahead of the elections in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa, INEC expresses worry over insecurity. Publish Date: October 9, 2023Writer: John Gabriel

In advance of the gubernatorial elections scheduled for November 11 in the states of Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has voiced alarm over the increasing number of incidences of insecurity.

Sam Olumekun, the chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee and INEC National Commissioner, urged political parties and their candidates to refrain from saying or doing anything that might inflame tensions in the political sphere.

He stated, “The commission is concerned about the wave of violence and insecurity, including fights between candidates and supporters of political parties in the upcoming elections.”

Read Also: Guber elections: Court to hear suit seeking INEC chairman’s imprisonment Thursday

In order to ensure that elections are held peacefully in the three states, the commission urged all political parties and candidates to refrain from saying or doing anything that could inflame the political climate. It also stated that it will keep a close eye on the situation and maintain its involvement with security agencies and other relevant parties.