The Federal High Court in Abuja has disqualified, Timipre Sylva, the Bayelsa APC governorship candidate, from contesting the November 11 election in Bayelsa State.
Justice Donatus Okorowo ruled that Mr Sylva, having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor of the state, would breach the 1999 constitution as amended if allowed to contest again.
The judge also declared that Mr Sylva was not qualified to run in the November poll because if he wins and is sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as governor of the state.
Justice Okorowo noted that the drafters of the country’s constitution stated that nobody should be voted for as governor more than two times and that the parties to the suit agreed that Mr Sylva was voted into office two times.
He said nobody can expand the constitution or its scope, stressing that, if Sylva was allowed to contest the next election, it meant a person could contest as many times as he wanted.
