Bayelsa gov’ship: Sylva escapes fresh hurdle on election eve

A three-member panel of justices on Friday held that the suit was not justiciable, was in bad faith and statute-barred, having been filed outside time.

In the unanimous judgment read by Justice Binta Zubar, the panel agreed that the allegations that Sylva took the oath of the governorship office twice could not stand in the face of law because the first one had been invalidated by competent courts.

In the appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/1052/2023, Justices Zubar also dismissed the allegation against the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary held on April 14, which produced Sylva as flagbearer, was done in contravention of provisions of the law.

The panel observed that the evidence adduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and APC pointed to the facts that all legal steps were taken in the conduct of the primary election.

A member of the APC, Hon Isikima Ogbomade Johnson, had brought the suit challenging the primary that produced Sylva.

But Sylva argued that he got the highest votes of 52,062 to come first, while the appellant came fourth with 584 votes behind Joshua Maciver (2078 votes); David Perewomini Lyon (1584 votes); Ongoebi Etebu (1277 votes); and Daumiebi Festus Sunday came last with 557 votes.