A group in the Bayelsa State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, known as Grassroots Mobilization Forum, has stated that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, is not qualified to contest the forth coming governorship election in the state for violating the Electoral Act.
According to the group in a statement in Yenagoa, yesterday, said the minister’s refusal to resign his current position a month prior to his party’s primaries as required by the Electoral Act, constitute a legal lacuna, and therefore should be disqualified.
The group statement which was issued by its Chairman Elder Komonibo Indutimi and Secretary, Barr Dallas Ebibi, call on the National Working Committee of the APC and the Screening Panel not to make a mistake by allowing Sylva as an aspirant to partake in the primaries as it will only be useful for spoiler game, adding that the emergence of such aspirant in the primaries will only open doors for other political parties to declare such candidate invalid at the court of law.
“We wish to inform you that Sylva is not qualified to contest the forth coming governorship election for violation of the Electoral Act.
“Section 84 subsection 12 of the Electoral Act states: No political appointees of any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political for the purpose of nomination of candidates for any election.
“Section 84 subsection 13 states further: ” Where a political party fails to comply with the provisions of this Act in the conduct of its primaries, the candidate of the election shall not be included in the election for the particular position in issue.
“Sylva at this time stands outrightly disqualify to contest in the forth coming gubernatorial elections.The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress,APC, and the Screening Panel should not make a mistake about that.
“It could be recalled that Sylva, Amaechi and others indicated interest to vie for the presidency. Amaechi, Akpabio resigned their positions thirty days to the primaries in obedience to the Electoral Act, Sylva even at that time lacked the courage to resign his appointment and withdrew his presidential interest.
“In a similar vein, his refusal to resign his current position as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, a month prior to his party’s primaries as required by the Electoral Act is a legal lacuna, therefore should be outrightly disqualified.
“We therefore submits that the Chairman of the National Primary Election Committee and the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, should not allow such aspirant to partake in the primaries as it will only be useful for spoiler game and the emergence of such aspirant in the primaries too is of no use as it will open doors for other political parties to declare such candidate invalid at the court of law,” the statement stated.
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