Timipre Sylva cleared by Appeal Court to run in Bayelsa governorship election

Kolomo’s suit, marked as FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023, questioned Sylva’s eligibility to run in the election given his prior tenure as governor of Bayelsa from May 29, 2007, to April 15, 2008, and May 27, 2008 to Jan. 27, 2012.

In his ruling, Justice Donatus Okorowo stated that allowing Sylva to run again would violate the provisions of the 1999 constitution, as he had been sworn in twice and served as a governor for a total of five years.

The judge also noted that if Sylva were allowed to participate in the election and win, he would exceed the eight-year limit in office, citing the case of Marwa vs Nyako at the Supreme Court, where the constitution’s drafters specified that no one should be elected governor more than two times.

Displeased with the judgment, Sylva appealed and requested that the court overturn the decision made by the lower court.

In a unanimous decision by a three-man panel on Tuesday, the court held that the individual who filed the lawsuit that led to Sylva’s disqualification lacked the necessary standing to do so.

The court consequently set aside the high court’s judgment and imposed a fine of N1 million on Kolomo.