On Tuesday, the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court dismissed a suit seeking disqualification of Timipre Sylva from contesting the November 11 Bayelsa governorship poll.
Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the plaintiff, Ogbomade Johnson, failed to prove the case upon the preponderance of evidence as required by law.
“The case, therefore, fails for lack of merit. Consequently, I make an order dismissing the plaintiff’s case for lack of merit. This is the order of this court,” Mr Ekwo declared.
The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/575/2023 was filed by Ms Johnson, an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, against Mr Sylva.
Ms Johnson, in the suit dated April 24 but filed April 27, sued APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Mr Sylva as first to third respondents, respectively.
She prayed the court for an order of mandatory injunction compelling INEC to delist the names of APC and Mr Sylva from the list of political parties and candidates for the November election.
The aggrieved aspirant also prayed for a perpetual injunction restraining Mr Sylva from parading himself as the APC’s governorship candidate in Bayelsa, among others.
She sought a declaration that the APC was duty-bound in contract to commence and conclude the primary election in Bayelsa in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the regulations and guidelines of the political party after having demanded and received the sum of N10 million from her, along with the other five aspirants.
Ms Johnson further sought a declaration that, by virtue of the conduct of the APC’s primary poll on April 14 in contravention of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the regulations and guidelines of the political party, the APC had no candidate to field for the poll, among other reliefs.
