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Sylva Allays Fears On Alleged Disqualification
The Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress(APC) gubernatorial Campaign Council has re-assured citizens of the state of a landslide victory at the November 11, 2023 governorship elections, saying Sylva and his running mate, Great Joshua MacIver are the candidates who would beat at the polls.
This reassurance, The Tide learnt was coming on the heels of a judgement delivered by Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which allegedly disqualified Sylva from contesting the forthcoming gubernatorial polls in the state.
A statement made available to Newsmen during the week by the Director, Media and Publicity of the Bayelsa State APC Governorship election campaign council, Mr Perry Tukuwei, reassuring party faithful and supporters of the APC candidate reads in parts:
“Sections 29 and 84 of the 2022 Electoral Act states that only persons who contested primaries of a political party has the locus standi to file a pre- election matter to challenge the qualification of the party’s candidate in any election, hence the suit filed by one Chief Demesuoyefa Kolomo who is not a member of the All Progressives Congress and didn’t contest our party’s governorship primaries do not have the locus standi to sue in the matter.
“Section 285 of the 1999 Nigerian constitution enjoins any aggrieved party to file an election matter within 14 days of the occurrence of the event, but this case was filed on the 13th of June 2023, whereas INEC published the names of the governorship candidates for Bayelsa, IMO and Kogi on the 12th of May 2023. Thus, the case was filed outside the constitutional prescribed 14 days thereby making the case statute barred.
” It is surprising to the party and Bayelsans that the court ignored the fact that the plaintiff lacked the locus standi to sue and went ahead to give judgement in their favour.
“Additionally, there is a practice directive by the Supreme Court that all pre-election matters be heard in the state where the primaries took place. To perfect their sinister act, the case was filed in Abuja. Is Abuja, Bayelsa?
“Subsequently, 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, having realized that our governorship candidate Chief Timipre Sylva is coasting home to victory, already following unrivaled acceptance in the eight local government areas of the state.
“The Party has briefed its lawyers to appeal the judgement and it is confident that the Court of Appeal will overturn the judgement of the Federal High Court.
“Our dear Bayelsans, fear not! This clandestine strategy by the PDP should not deter the resolve to elect Chief Timipre Sylva as the next Governor of Bayelsa State. We will win”.
Meanwhile, The Tide which had earlier monitored the flag-off of the party’s Governorship campaigns in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state on Monday prior to the Abuja Court ruling reports that the APC gubernatorial candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva and his running mate, Great Joshua MacIver, alongside their campaign team and party faithful had visited traditional rulers of the area, and campaigned in the three state assembly constituencies of the council area, respectively.
Speaking in the trio communities of Sagbama town, headquarters of the Sagbama Local Government Area, which also doubles as headquarters of the Local Government’s constituency two, and Agbere, as well as Ebedebiri communities, headquarters of constituency three and one, Sylva said he was willing to change the narrative of the people of the state for the better.
The former Minister of State, Petroleum Resources also noted that the incumbent Governor of the state, senator Douye Diri has brought untold hardship and abject poverty to citizens of the state, noting that upon his election, come November 11th he would put smiles on the faces of the people via job creation and employment generation, as well as reduce the worrisome poverty index of the state.
“I’ve been governor before, and have been Minister and so many other things. I’ve the experience to lead and change this state for the better.
“The poverty index of this state are too glaring, that’s because the current man in position as governor doesn’t have the requisite experience to govern the state.
“We’ll harness and explore our abundant gas to generate constant power supply. We’ll create jobs and opportunities for our people, and give all our citizens a sense of belonging”, Sylva said.
Earlier, the trio of the state chairman of the APC, Dr Dennis Otiotio, former Deputy Governor of the state, who also doubles as Deputy Director-General of the party’s Governorship campaign council for the state’s West Senatorial District, Chief Peremobowei Ebebi and the party’s state Vice Chairman, Barr. Francis Kolokolo described the APC candidate, Chief Sylva as an experienced and pragmatic leader who understands the problems and needs of the citizens of the state with a view to solving them.
They noted that Sylva was ready to right the wrongs in the state if elected as governor in the forthcoming elections, just as they promised to partner with all stakeholders to work assiduously towards the delivery of victory for the former Minister and his running mate, Joshua MacIver as Governor and Deputy Governor of the state, come November 11th, 2023.
In same vein, the people of Ebedebiri community have scored the APC guber candidate high, saying he was instrumental to the election of their Son, now acting Chief of staff to the governor of the state twice as former member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.
In another development, the campaign council of the Bayelsa State APC Gubernatorial candidate took their campaigns to Peretorugbene, Agoro and Toru-Ndoro communities of Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday.
Highlights of the campaigns were the receiving of defectors from other political parties to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa