A civil rights group, Truth Movement of Nigeria (TMN) yesterday said the Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, is seeking a third term of office as he has been sworn in as governor twice as provided by the constitution.
The group at a press conference in Abuja, claimed that Sylva was previously elected as governor of Bayelsa in 2007 and 2008.
The Deputy National Chairman of the group, Chief Tam Jaja, argued that “Sylva’s 2007 election victory was nullified by the court of Appeal and he won the rerun election where upon he was elected the second time and served for about four cumulative period of four years and seven months as the governor of Bayelsa State.
“He is now seeking to be elected a 3rd time as the governor of Baylesa State in the forthcoming elections.”
Jaja said the APC candidate has fallen short of the provision of section 182 (b) of the Constitution which states that he has been elected to such office twice at previous elections.”
He said “it is this apposite to ask if Chief Timipre Sylva who, having already been elected twice and served for a cumulative period of about four years and seven months as the governor of the state, is qualified to seek for re-election a third time for the fresh term of four years and thereby seek to serve as governor of the state for more than the maximum period of 8 (eight) years allowed by the constitution.”
He noted that Sylva was party to a case in the Supreme Court which recognized that he has been sworn in twice as governor.
“The Supreme Court therefore clearly recognized the earlier nullified election of governor Timipre Sylva as having led to his first election. Thus his success in the rerun election was obviously his second election and incidentally the above quoted provision of section 182 (1) (b) of the constitution has barred him from contesting again having been previously elected twice.”
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