Bayelsa Guber: Court Asked To Restrain INEC From Recognizing APC’s Sylva Over Convicted Running Mate

An NGO known as Trustfield Empowerment Initiative has asked the Federal High Court, Abuja, to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing the All Progressive Congress governorship candidate, Chief Timpre Sylva, and his running mate, Joshua Maciver, in the forthcoming Bayelsa elections in view of the latter’s alleged criminal conviction.

In the group’s case dated July 21 and with Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1009/2023, Sylva, Maciver, and INEC were listed as defendants.

It urged the court to determine whether Section 175(1), 182(1)(d)(2) and 187 of the 1999 Constitution allow a governorship candidate to field a running mate who had been allegedly sentenced by a court.

Section 182 partly reads: “(1) No person shall be qualified for election to the office of Governor of a State if -(d) he is under a sentence of death imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or a sentence of imprisonment for any offense involving dishonesty or fraud (by whatever name called) or any other offence imposed on him by any court or tribunal or substituted by a competent authority for any other sentence imposed on him by such a court or tribunal…”

The group claims that Sylva’s running mate was convicted and sentenced, adding that the APC candidate has contravened electoral laws in his choice.

“On the heels of these, we are unequivocally stating here that in view of the conviction of MacIver for a sentence of imprisonment, he cannot be a running mate of Sylva who is contesting for the office of Governor of Bayelsa State in the 2023 Bayelsa State Governorship Election, hence Sylva does not have a running mate as submitted to INEC,” the group added.

It urged the court to declare that the primary election of the APC duo is a nullity and declare the party as having no candidate in the forthcoming guber polls.

THE WHISTLER reports that a similar case against Sylva’s qualification is before the Federal High Court sitting in Yenogoa.

The case was filed by a governorship aspirant of the party, Isikima Johnson.

Johnson deposed before the court that Maciver was allegedly convicted of terrorism by a court in 2006, and Sylva ought to be disqualified for choosing him contrary to the laws of the land.

He accused Maciver of lying on oath to INEC about his conviction.

But the lead counsel for Sylva and Maciver, Dr Ogwu Onoja, SAN, filed a preliminary objection against the application and urged the court to strike it out for being statute barred (out of time).

The matter was adjourned by the court to September 13 for hearing.