Bayelsa 2023: Tension erupts as APC candidate name missing on INEC final list

The All Progressives Congress (APC) camp has been thrown into tension as its candidate in the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, and his running mate, Joshua Maciver's names were missing on the final list of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to PM News, the names of Sylva and Maciver were conspicuously missing in the amended lists of candidates INEC had released for the forthcoming governorship election in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States.

The amended list was signed by the secretary of the electoral body, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, and was uploaded on the INEC website on Tuesday, October 25.

On the list, the column containing the names of the APC candidates in the Bayelsa election was left blank with a remark on it stating "court order".

INEC then explained that it published the final list of candidates for the 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa State on June 9 in line with the constitutional provision of Section 32 of the 2022 Electoral Act as well as the Timetable and schedule of activities for the poll.

Oriaran-Anthony further noted that the commission was served with a court order regarding the nomination of the APC candidate for the November 11 governorship election in Bayelsa.

Recall that a federal high court sitting in Abuja sacked and barred Sylva from contesting in the election because he had been sworn in as governor of Bayelsa State two times, which is the maximum number required by the constitution.

The court also ruled that Sylva has governed the state for five years and swearing him in for the third time, if he wins the election, would contravened the Nigeria's constitution.