The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has reversed the disqualification of former governor Timipre Sylva, as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the upcoming November 11 election in Bayelsa state.
The Appeal Court set aside the initial judgment by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which earlier disqualified Sylva from contesting the coming election in the state.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had, on October 9, disqualified Sylva from contesting the November 11 election in Bayelsa state, because of his former office, having been sworn in twice as the governor in the state.
Delivering judgment, Donatus Okorowo, the presiding judge, held that Sylva, having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor of the state, would breach the 1999 constitution if allowed to contest again.
Okorowo further held that Sylva was not qualified to run in the forthcoming poll because if he wins and is sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as governor of the state.
Consequently, the name of the immediate former Minister of State for Petroleum was removed from the mended list of the governorship candidates in the state, by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
However, the former governor and his party, APC appealed the judgement of the High Court and won.
