BAYELSA POLLS: SYLVA IN HOT WATER AS DICKSON CROSS APPEAL JUDGEMENT

Defeated candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the December 5, 2015 and January 9, 2016 governorship election in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva is in hot water as Governor Henry Seriake Dickson initiates legal fireworks to disqualify Sylva from ever contesting governorship election. Dickson who expressed dissatisfaction with the tribunal for refusing to bar Sylva from contesting governorship election having taken governorship oath of office twice, has cross appealed the judgement of the tribunal in which he won.In a cross appeal filed on Monday, August 15, Dickson’s lead counsel, Tayo Oyetibo contended that by virtue of section 182(1)b of the 1999 Constitution, Sylva  having been elected governor of Bayelsa State on two previous occasions is neither qualified to contest election into that office again or present any petition challenging Dickson’s victory at the polls. According to him, Section 182(1) b of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria states: “No person shall be qualified for election to the office of Governor of a state if he has been elected to such office at any two previous elections.’’After losing the last election, Sylva who had been governor of the state between May, 2007 and February, 2012 approached the Bayelsa State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja seeking to be declared winner but lost his bid on all grounds. Rather, the tribunal upheld the election of Dickson.