Abuja’s Federal High Court’s Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo has rejected a suit seeking the disqualification of former Petroleum Resources Minister, Timipre Sylva from competing in the November governorship election in Bayelsa State.
The judge had held that the plaintiff had failed to validate the claim that the APC did not conduct a lawful primary election that put forward Sylva’s candidacy.
Justice Ekwo had further said that from the uncontroverted independent report of INEC, it was clear that a valid primary election had been conducted by the APC and that it had been monitored by the electoral umpire as required by law.
The Justice had revoked the police reports tendered by the plaintiff, claiming that APC had not conducted a primary election.
Ekwo had additionally remarked that the alleged police reports were worthless and illegal because police officials were not mandated by any provisions of law to do what they did in favour of the plaintiff.
Justice Ekwo had also remarked that most of the documents submitted by the plaintiff were done through the back doors, disregarding the well-known, established procedures.
Lastly, the court had dismissed the suit because it had not been instituted within 14 days of the subject matter occuring. Ekwo had commented that due to rhis, the case had become an academic matter, and that since the court was not an academic institution, it would not be dabbling in such matters.
The plaintiff had dragged APC, INEC and Sylva before the court, seeking for an order to disqualify him from participating in the upcoming November governorship election in Bayelsa State.
The plaintiff had predicated his grouse against Sylvia on two grounds:
Sylva had been appointed into governorship office twice and had taken the oath of office and oath of allegiance twice. Also, he had claimed that the April 14 primary election that produced Sylva as a candidate was illegal and unlawful, as the election had allegedly breached the APC guidelines.
