Bayelsa State Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Timipre Sylva, said the judiciary vindicated itself through the Court of Appeal’s reversal of his candidacy’s nullification.
Sylva expressed relief and confusion about the judgment, someone unfamiliar to him challenged his primaries, even though they didn’t participate in the election.
He’s now relieved that the court found this challenge valid.
He said “I just feel relieved because it was confusing when that judgment came, but I feel very relieved today. I was confused, because for somebody who did not participate in an election—someone I hardly know even as a member of the party—to come and challenge my primaries and for a court to now hold that it was in order.
“It was confusing because I do not think a judge will do that, but today, I think the judiciary has vindicated itself,” he said.
Recall that Justice Binta Zubairu who delivered the lead judgment disagreed with Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court for removing Sylva as the APC candidate in the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State.
According to the court, the trial court made a mistake by asserting jurisdiction, this was because the plaintiff at the Federal High Court had no standing to initiate the lawsuit since they didn’t participate in the primary election which led to Sylva becoming the APC’s candidate for the forthcoming election.
The appellate court said that jurisdiction is fundamental in election matters, and since the lower court lacked jurisdiction from the start, all actions related to the matter are deemed null and void.
The appellate court, in addition, stated that once a judgment is found to have been delivered without jurisdiction, “no matter how sound” it may be, “it is an exercise in futility”.
The appellate court later invalidated Justice Donatus Okorowo’s decision, which nullified Sylva’s participation in the November 11 election.
As a result of this judgment, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is required to relist Sylva as the APC’s candidate for the governorship election in Bayelsa State.
Justice Zubairu also awarded a cost of N1 million in favour of Sylva.
Kanyi Daily recalls that Immediate-past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva had won the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Bayelsa.
