By Kamsi Anayo
The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Tuesday, affirmed Timipre Sylva as the validly elected candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Nov. 11 Bayelsa governorship election.
The three-member panel, in a unanimous judgement, held that the trial court which nullified Sylva’s candidature lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit filed by an APC member, Demesuoyefa Kolomo, having not been an aspirant in the primaries that produced the ex-minister of petroleum.
The court also awarded the sum of N1 million in favour of the appellant (Sylva) in the first appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/1060/2023 between APC and Kolomo.
The panel equally awarded the sum of N1 million in favour of Sylva in the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/1061/2023 between Mr Sylva vs. Mr Kolomo and two others.
Sylva’s appeals were against the Oct. 9 judgement delivered by Justice Donatus Okorowo of a Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, which disqualified him as a candidate in the Nov. 11 election.
Kolomo, who described himself as a registered voter, had, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 filed on June 3, prayed the court to delete Sylva’s name from the list of candidates vying for the election, having taken an oath of office twice as governor of the state.