By Daniel Edu
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for delisting its gubernatorial candidate, Timipre Sylva, from the list of candidates for the upcoming Bayelsa governorship election. The party expressed concern that this action could be linked to a high court judgment disqualifying Sylva as the APC’s candidate for the election. The APC noted that it had promptly appealed the judgment and sought a stay of its execution, which the Court of Appeal granted. The case was scheduled for definite hearing on October 27.
The APC argued that INEC’s decision to delist its candidate was premature and could potentially impact the ongoing legal process. The party called on INEC to withdraw the delisting decision in the interest of fairness and encouraged Bayelsa residents, especially APC members and supporters, to remain patient while the judicial process unfolds. The APC expressed confidence in its candidate’s victory at the Court of Appeal and in the upcoming election.
The disqualification of Sylva was based on the grounds that he had previously served as governor of Bayelsa and allowing him to contest again would violate the 1999 constitution as amended.
