Atiku’s ally drags Bayelsa guber candidate to court over credentials

The All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate for Bayelsa state, Timipre Sylva, has been served a lawsuit over the authenticity of his credentials.

As contained in the document obtained by Legit.ng on Thursday, May 18, the former spokesperson of the APC, Timi Frank, filed the suit before a magistrate in Abuja urging the authorities to investigate to checkmate his credentials.

The case marked: CV/WZ2/236/2023 stipulated that the former minister of state for petroleum resources might have committed forgery in his credentials.

It reads: “Sometime in 2007, Chief Timipre Sylva presented himself before the Bayelsa state gubernatorial screening committee for election to the office of the executive governor of Bayelsa state and whilst so doing, presented conflicting or forged academic documents belonging to different individuals and thereby committed the offence of forgery contrary to sections 366 penal code.”

“Sometime in 2019 Chief Timipre Sylva while swearing under oath for the purpose of screening as minister of state for petroleum resources and whilst so doing presented conflicting or forged academic documents belonging different individuals to the federal house of representatives and senate respectively and thereby committed the offence of forgery contrary to sections 366 penal code.”

The supporting affidavit filed by Frank also noted that there was no evidence that the APC candidate had formerly changed his name.

Frank said: "The complainant believes that the said Deed Poll and Official Gazette are nothing but mere pieces of paper…procured by Sylva to mislead people and wriggle himself out of being investigated, prosecuted and jailed for the alleged offence.

“The Complainant is worried like every other reasonable Nigerian as to why the defendant waited till May 2022 before procuring the Deed Poll and Official Gazette…

“Based on the foregoing, the complainant humbly prays the honourable court to direct the Nigeria Police Force to carry out investigation of the alleged offences concerning the defendant."