Independent National Electoral Commission has released amended lists of governorship candidates for the November 11 election in Bayelsa State, excluding the All Progressives Congress candidate, Timipre Sylva and his running mate, Joshua Maciver.
The development has already thrown the supporters of APC in the state into anxiety, with many comparing it to the situation that prevented the party from governing the state after winning the 2019 governorship election.
In 2019, David Lyon, governorship candidate of the APC, was declared winner of the election and was preparing to be sworn in when the Supreme Court annulled his victory on the grounds that his running mate submitted forged documents to INEC.
Four years after, Lyon had sought to clinch the APC ticket but he was displaced by Sylva.
According to the amended list uploaded on the commission’s website on Tuesday, Sylva and his ruining mate, were excluded due to the October 10 Federal High Court ruling that disqualified them from participating in the state governorship election.
In the list signed by the INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, the column for the names of APC candidate and his ruining mate was left blank with the remark, “Court order.”
Justice Donatus Okorowo, a few weeks ago while disqualifying Sylva and his running mate, held that having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor of Bayelsa state, Sylva would breach the 1999 constitution as amended, 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 of the state.
Reacting to Sylva’s exclusion, the APC gubernatorial campaign Council urged the party supporters not to be deterred.
Director of Media and Publicity, of the campaign council, Mr Perry Tukuwei, in a statement on Wednesday, said the party’s lawyers were already on the top of the situation to get victory at the Appeal Court.
He said: “The Bayelsa State Gubernatorial Campaign Council hereby urge our dear Bayelsans not to be deterred with recent happenings in the polity as we match towards the victory post at the November 11 Governorship Election.
“We are clearly miles ahead with a well thought out Renewed Hope for Bayelsa agenda as well as resounding successes recorded in campaign activities across communities culminating in the decision by people of the state to look the way of Chief Timipre Sylva and Joshua Maciver as the next Governor and Deputy Governor respectively.
“Our dear bayelsans, do not fear. Do not be discouraged. We are on course with no distractions. Our lawyers are very well on top of the situation as we expect victory at the Court of Appeal. We will win.”