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Bayelsa Guber Election: APC To Appeal Sylva Disqualification

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The Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced its intention to appeal the Federal High Court decision that disqualified Timipre Sylva, the party’s candidate for the upcoming governorship election.

 

Justice Donatus Okorowo’s ruling stated that Sylva, having previously served two terms as governor totaling five years, would violate the amended 1999 constitution if permitted to run again.

 

In a statement released on Tuesday by Perry Tukuwei, the Director of Media and Publicity for the APC Bayelsa Governorship Campaign Council, the party contends that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawsuit against Timipre Sylva breaches the Electoral Act.

 

The statement reads “The Bayelsa All Progressives Congress Gubernatorial Campaign Council has re-assured Bayelsans of a landslide victory at the November 11, 2023 governorship elections and subsequent swearing in of its Governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva on February 14, 2024.

 

“This reassurance is coming on the heels of a judgement which has the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate written all over it by a Federal High Court in Abuja in an already failed bid to dash the hopes of Bayelsans to have their preferred candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva as the next helmsman at Creek Haven by February 14, 2024.

 

“Sections 29 and 84 of the 2022 Electoral Act states that only persons who contested primaries of a political party that has the locus standi to file a pre- election  matter to challenge the qualification of the party’s candidate in any election hence the suit filed by one Chief Demesuoyefa Kolomo who is not a member of the All Progressives Congress and didn’t contest our party’s governorship primaries do not have the locus standi to sue in the matter.

 

“Section 285 of the 1999 Nigerian constitution enjoins any aggrieved party to file a or election matter within 14 days of the occurrence of the event but this case was filed on the 13th of June 2023 whereas INEC published the names of the governorship candidates for Bayelsa, IMO and Kogi on the 12th of May 2023.

 

“Thus, the case was filed outside the constitutional prescribed 14 days thereby making the case statute barred. It is surprising to the party and Bayelsans that the court ignored the fact that the plaintiff lacked the locus standi to sue and went ahead to give judgement in their favour.

 

“Additionally, there is a practice directive by the Supreme Court that all pre-election matters be heard in the state where the primaries took place. To perfect their sinister act, the case was filed in Abuja. Is Abuja, Bayelsa?

 

“Subsequently, the Bayelsa All Progressives Congress can smell the coffee and sinister move by Governor Douye Diri to go through the back door which is his usual practice having realized that our governorship candidate Chief Timipre Sylva is coasting home to victory already following unrivaled acceptance in the eight local government areas of the state.

 

“The Party has briefed its lawyers to appeal the judgement and it is confident that the Court of Appeal will overturn the judgement of the Federal High Court.

 

“Our dear bayelsans, fear not! This clandestine strategy by the PDP should not deter the resolve to elect Chief Timipre Sylva as the next Governor of Bayelsa State.

 

Politics

2027: ‘North Has No Reason to Break Agreement’ — Gov Yusuf Backs Tinubu

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Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has declared his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, arguing that the North should respect an alleged power-sharing agreement between northern and southern political leaders.

Yusuf made the declaration at the unveiling of the Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A) National Headquarters in Abuja, where he pledged 100 per cent Northern support for Tinubu in the next presidential election.

SEE ALSO: DPRP’s Free Fuel Delivery Expands to Kano, Imo, Nearly 10 More States

The governor cited an alleged agreement reached in 1999 under which the North and South would take turns to produce Nigeria’s president, with the North allowed to serve two consecutive terms.

He referenced the eight years served by former President Muhammadu Buhari, who governed Nigeria for two consecutive terms before Tinubu assumed office in 2023.

According to Yusuf, the North should respect the arrangement rather than seek to produce another presidential candidate in 2027.

“For me, and for every right-thinking Nigerian, especially for us here in the North, we don’t have any reason, we don’t have any cause to now contribute on that premise, even though not constitutionally,” he said.

“Common sense dictates that we have to respect this mutual agreement.”

Yusuf subsequently declared his support for Tinubu on behalf of the northern states and what he described as patriotic Northerners.

“I therefore, on behalf of all the northern states, on behalf of all Democrats, on behalf of all patriotic northern states, indigenous, we want to assure His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu of our full support one hundred percent,” the governor said.

He also urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to openly support the president and work together towards victory in the 2027 election.

“We have all agreed we are members of the APC, and therefore we must work together to ensure that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his vice president emerge victorious,” Yusuf said.

The governor further called on party members to extend similar support to members of the National Assembly, state governors and members of state assemblies.

He congratulated the organisers of the event and wished participants well.

 

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‘Nigeria Is Doomed Under Tinubu’ — Kenneth Okonkwo Backs Atiku for 2027

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Kenneth Okonkwo has declared that Nigeria is “doomed under Tinubu” while urging Nigerians to support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election.

Okonkwo made the remarks in a statement shared on X on Saturday, October 17, in which he criticised President Bola Tinubu’s performance, citing the proposed 12-state presidential campaign tour, the country’s corruption ranking and the Federal Government’s debt-servicing costs.

He described Tinubu’s planned campaign coverage as an “F” performance, noting that the President would campaign in only 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

SEE ALSO: 2027: ADC Chieftain Warns Kenneth Okonkwo Against ‘Insulting’ Remarks on Amaechi

“This is about 30% coverage of the entire Nigeria. This is an ‘F’ performance by Tinubu,” he said.

Okonkwo also criticised Tinubu for allegedly failing to grant regular interviews to independent media organisations or participate in a national debate with opposition candidates.

He argued that the President had not adequately engaged Nigerians directly to explain his plans and policies, describing him as an “absentee President” and questioning his suitability for re-election.

The former spokesperson for the Labour Party presidential campaign also cited Nigeria’s position in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, stating that the country ranked 142nd out of 182 countries, with a score of 26 out of 100.

He described the ranking as another “F” performance under Tinubu’s administration.

On the economy, Okonkwo claimed that Nigeria was “technically bankrupt,” citing figures he said showed that the Federal Government spent ₦7.7 trillion on interest payments in the first half of 2026, compared with total revenue of ₦6.2 trillion.

According to him, interest payments exceeded government revenue by ₦1.5 trillion during the period.

Okonkwo further accused Tinubu of failing to achieve 30 per cent in his administration’s undertakings, describing the government as an “F” government.

He urged Nigerians to support Atiku in the 2027 presidential election, crediting the former vice president’s time in office with helping Nigeria exit its international debt through what he described as prudent management of national resources.

Okonkwo also defended Atiku’s position on fuel subsidies, arguing that the former vice president’s government had maintained fuel subsidies that made life more affordable for Nigerians.

He said Atiku had promised to restore a production-based petroleum subsidy to reduce the cost of refining fuel and make refined petroleum products more affordable.

The statement comes amid preparations for the 2027 presidential election, with political parties and opposition figures intensifying their criticism of the Tinubu administration.

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‘The Entire North Has Made Up Its Mind for Tinubu’ — APC Chieftain

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All zones in Northern Nigeria have made up their minds to support President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, according to All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Sola Ebiseni.

Ebiseni made the claim during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he argued that Northern political interests were already looking beyond the 2027 election towards 2031.

According to him, the North has effectively conceded the next presidential election to Tinubu and is looking ahead to the possibility of power returning to the region in 2031.

SEE MORE: ‘Tinubu Has Procured Proxies’ — Sam Amadi on President’s 2027 Campaign Strategy

“As I tell you from our own research, every zone of the North is looking forward to 2031. They’ve conceded 2027 to Tinubu, the Southwest, of course,” Ebiseni said.

When asked about the basis of his assertion, Ebiseni maintained that the North had settled on supporting the President.

“The entire North has made up its mind for Tinubu,” he said.

During the discussion, Ebiseni was confronted with a contrasting projection that at least 10 of the 19 Northern states would support Tinubu, but he maintained that the entire North had made up its mind in favour of the President.

Ebiseni defended his position, saying it was based on research conducted by organisations to which he belonged, although he did not provide specific details of the research during the interview.

He also argued that Northern Nigeria should not be treated as a politically uniform region, pointing to differences between the Middle Belt, Northwest and Northeast.

“The destiny of the Middle Belt is different from the destiny of the Northwest. It’s different from the destiny of the Northeast, where the current Vice President comes from. And that is going to play out in 2027,” he said.

Ebiseni identified security as a major consideration for voters in Northern Nigeria, arguing that the establishment of state police would strengthen internal security arrangements.

He acknowledged that security efforts under the Tinubu administration could never be sufficient on their own, but maintained that state police would give individual states greater capacity to address security challenges.

“One of the efforts is state police, so that each state will have the capacity for internal security,” he said.

He also questioned the positions of other presidential aspirants on state police, asking how many had openly expressed support for the proposal.

Ebiseni further criticised proposals to restore fuel subsidies, questioning the economic implications of returning to the policy.

His comments come amid political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election, with parties and political figures seeking to consolidate support across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.

 

 

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