Bayelsa State: All You Need To Know About APC Governorship Candidate, Timipre Sylva

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a few months ago  announced that the governorship election in Bayelsa State will be held on the 11th of November, 2023.

Following the announcement by the electoral body, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State held a governorship primary.

Naija News understands that the immediate-past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva emerged as the candidate of the APC.

Sylva polled 52,061 votes to defeat five other contenders to win the governorship ticket at the party’s primary election.

However, the emergence of Sylva as the candidate of the APC has stirred reactions as some politicians in the state believe the former Governor had been elected twice and should not contest in the forthcoming election.

The controversy saw Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in a judgement delivered in the suit filed on June 13, 2023, by a member of the APC, Deme Kolomo sack Sylva as APC governorship candidate.

The Judge explained that Sylva having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor of Bayelsa would breach the 1999 constitution as amended if allowed to contest again.

In his view, Sylva was not qualified to run in the November poll because if he won and was sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as governor of the state.

Sylva and APC, however, have vowed to appeal the judgment of the court.

Here are some things to know about Sylva:

– Sylva was born on 7 July 1964 in Brass, Bayelsa (formerly Rivers State, of which Bayelsa State was split off in 1996)

Education Background

– Sylva graduated from the University of Port Harcourt with distinction in English (Linguistics) in 1986.

– At the time, he was the best-graduating student from his department and departmental valedictorian.

– He was subsequently awarded a Doctor in International Relations (Honoris causa) by UBIS University in 2011.

– Sylva was awarded his second Doctorate (Honoris Causa) in Public Administration on the 2nd of December 2020 by AiPA (African Institute of Public Administration), Leading Edge Foundation and LBBS.

Political Background

– Sylva’s political career started in 1992 when he won a seat in the House of Assembly Election representing Brass constituency in old Rivers State.

– His political career continued when he was appointed as the Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Petroleum in 2004 under the auspices of Dr Edmund Daukoru.

– As a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sylva won the 2007 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election.

– Sylva’s opponent in the 2007 election, Ebitimi Amgbare of the Action Congress, legally challenged his victory.

– Although the Bayelsa State Election Petitions Tribunal upheld Sylva’s election, Amgbare took the matter to the Appeal Court in Port Harcourt which overturned the Tribunal’s decision and nullified Sylva’s election on April 15, 2008.

– The Appeal Court’s five justices were unanimous in their decision and ordered that Speaker Werinipre Seibarugo be sworn in to replace Sylva as acting Governor, with a new election to be held within three months.

– A new election was held on May 24, 2008, and Sylva, again running as the PDP candidate, was overwhelmingly elected with 588,204 out of about 598,000 votes.

– He was sworn in again on May 27, saying on this occasion that he would form a broadly inclusive unity government.[10] On January 27, 2012, his tenure was terminated by the Supreme Court with an acting governor appointed to oversee the state until the election of February 2012.

– Sylva was appointed by President Buhari on Wednesday, August 21, 2019, as the Nigerian Cabinet Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.