The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State is gearing up for a legal battle as it seeks to appeal the recent Federal High Court judgment disqualifying its gubernatorial candidate, Timipre Sylva.
The court ruled that Sylva’s candidacy would violate the 1999 constitution due to his previous terms as governor.
In response, the APC, through its Director of Media and Publicity for the APC Bayelsa Governorship Campaign Council, Perry Tukuwei, issued a statement on Tuesday, asserting that the suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in breach of the Electoral Act.
The party expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would overturn the Federal High Court’s judgment.
Furthermore, the party highlighted that the lawsuit lacked merit, citing Sections 29 and 84 of the 2022 Electoral Act, which specify that only individuals who contested a party’s primaries can challenge the qualification of the party’s candidate.
They argued that the plaintiff, Chief Demesuoyefa Kolomo, was neither an APC member nor a participant in the party’s governorship primaries.
The APC also emphasized that the case was filed outside the constitutional 14-day window for election matters, making it statute barred.
Additionally, they questioned the court’s jurisdiction in Abuja, emphasizing that pre-election matters should be heard in the state where the primaries occurred.
Despite these legal challenges, the Bayelsa APC expressed confidence in Chief Timipre Sylva’s candidacy and reassured Bayelsans of a victory at the November 11, 2023 governorship elections.
They remain determined to see Sylva sworn in as the Governor of Bayelsa State on February 14, 2024, and urged supporters not to be deterred by what they deemed a clandestine strategy by the PDP.
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