INEC removes APC's Timipre Sylva from Bayelsa election after court order

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially removed the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva, and his deputy, Joshua Maciver, from the list of qualified candidates for the upcoming Governorship election in Bayelsa State.

This decision was made following a recent court order instructing the exclusion of the APC candidates from the election.

Rose Oriarian-Anthony, the Secretary of INEC, confirmed in a statement that the Commission had published the list of candidates for the Bayelsa State Governorship election on June 9, 2023, adhering to the provisions of Section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended).

However, subsequent to this publication, INEC received a court order related to the nomination of the APC candidate for the 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa State.

"In light of the court order received after the publication of the candidates' list, the Independent National Electoral Commission is obligated to adhere to the judicial directive," stated Oriarian-Anthony.

The court order, which led to the exclusion of Chief Timipre Sylva and Joshua Maciver, was issued under the provisions of Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). This section mandates INEC to enforce court orders without exception.