A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, fixed Sept. 28 for judgment in a suit praying the court to order INEC to delete Timipre Sylva’s name from list of candidates contesting the Bayelsa Nov. 11 governorship poll.
The suit was filed by Chief Demesuoyefa Kolomo, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC),
Justice Donatus Okorowo fixed the date after Prof. Abiodun Amuda-Kannike, SAN, counsel for Kolomo, and Sylva’s lawyer, Babayemi Olaniyan, including that of the APC, Dr Denis Otiotio, adopted their processes and presented their arguments for and against the matter.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kolomo, a member of the APC, is praying the court to order INEC to delete Sylva’s name from list of candidates contesting the Nov. 11 governorship poll.
In the originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 dated and filed June 13, Kolomo had sued Sylva, the immediate-past Minister of State for Petroleum; APC and INEC as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.
Kolomo had asked the court to determine whether Sylva is qualified to contest in the election, having occupied the office of governor of Bayelsa May 29, 2007 to April 15, 2008 and May 27, 2008 to Jan. 27, 2012.
In the affidavit attached, Kolomo deposed that besides being an APC member, he was also a registered voter in the state.
He said INEC recently published the names of governorship candidates for the state, including Sylva’s name.
The plaintiff said he was motivated by the need to vindicate Sections 180 (2)(a) and 182(1)b) of the1999 Constitution, the rule of law and to know the applicability of same as it relates to Sylva based on the above facts.
Kolomo also averred that the question raised by the instant suit was a constitutional one and of grave importance to him as a voter and other voters in the sate so that they would not vote for someone who was not qualified to contest in the poll and had their votes wasted at the end of the day.
But Sylva, who was the immediate-past Minister of Petroleum, in a counter affidavit, asked the court to dismiss the suit for lacking in merit.
(CDA NEWS)
Follow us for breaking News, Read, Like, and Share our content.
Follow us on Twitter @anewsreporters
Follow us at Instagram @ cdanews247
Follow us at TikTok.@cdanews247
Follow our Facebook page @ CDA News
