BEFORE SATURDAY’S POLL, INEC RELEASES AN AMENDED LIST OF CANDIDATES AND ADDS SYLVA’S NAME BACK.

Babatunji Wusu –

Timipre Sylva, the All Progressives Congress candidate, has been added to the list of candidates who will be competing at the vote this Saturday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in anticipation of the off-cycle gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State.

The amended list appeared on the commission’s website on Monday and included the names of Timipre Sylva and Joshua Maciver, his running mate.

Rose Oriaran-Anthony, secretary of INEC, signed the amended list.

The Federal High Court in Abuja disqualified Sylva from contesting for the state governorship on October 10.

In his decision, Judge Donatus Okorowo determined that since Sylva had been sworn in twice and served five years in office, permitting him to run for governor once more would be in violation of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

In addition, the judge decided that Sylva was not eligible to run for office as, if elected, he would remain as the state’s governor for a period longer than eight years after taking the oath of office.
Sylva appealed the court’s decision to the Court of Appeal through his lawyer, Dr. Ahmed Raji, because he was unhappy with the decision.

While the appeal was still pending, the former governor’s name was taken from the list of candidates for the election that INEC released on October 25.

But last Monday, the Court of Appeal overturned the decision that barred Sylvia from running in the election on November 11.