Bayelse Election: INEC Release Amended Candidate List, Returns Sylva’s Name Ahead Of Saturday’s Poll

In the buildup to the off-cycle governorship election in Bayelsa State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has returned the name of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Timipre Sylva, to the list of candidates that will be contesting at the poll this Saturday.

Naija News reports that Timipre Sylva and his running mate Joshua Maciver’s names were on the updated list, which was posted on the commission’s website on Monday.

INEC’s secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, signed the updated list.

On October 10, Sylva was barred from running for the state governorship by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

In his ruling, Judge Donatus Okorowo concluded that allowing Sylva to run for governor again would violate the 1999 Constitution as amended because he had been sworn in twice and held office for five years.

Additionally, the judge ruled that Sylva was ineligible to run for office because should he win and take the oath of office, he would serve as the state’s governor for a term longer than eight years.

Sylva, dissatisfied with the ruling, appealed the court’s verdict to the Court of Appeal via his attorney, Dr. Ahmed Raji.

The former governor’s name was removed from the list of candidates for the election that INEC released on October 25 while the appeal was still pending.

However, the Court of Appeal last week reversed the judgement that disqualified Sylvia from contesting at the November 11 poll.