Bayelsa: Uneasy Calm as Court Hears Eligibility Case against Sylva’s Running Mate Today

 Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

There is an uneasy calm in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital as the hearing of the substantive suit filed against the Bayelsa State chapter of the All ProgressivesCongress (APC) deputy governorship candidate, Joshua Maciver, over his alleged ineligibility to contest the November 11th Governorship poll, is set to resume today.

A female governorship aspirant of the APC, Ikisima Johnson, who also participated and lost the party’s governorship primaries to the eventual winner, Chief Timipre Sylva, challenged the eligibility of Joshua Maciver and seeking his disqualification as the party’s running mate.
Her petition was on the alleged grounds that MacIver was an ex-convict, who was sentenced to 10 years prison for terrorism and sea piracy but escaped from prison without completing his sentence.

In suit number FHC/YNG/CS114/2023/, the APC was listed as the first defendant, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sylva, and MacIver as second, third and fourth defendants respectively.

This was as a civil society group, the Coalition for Social Justice and Equity Initiative, has raised the alarm over alleged plot by the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Maj Gen Tariye Ndiomu (rtd.) and Sylva, to undermine the court processes.

The group alleged that Sylva and Ndiomu were engaged in secret negotiation to insert Maciver’s name into the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) database and tender an affidavit to back it up in the court.

The group, in a statement through its Public Relations Officer, Ezra Areo, in Yenagoa, called on the Presiding Judge, Justice Olaide Quadiri and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to be on red alert to apprehend Ndiomu, Sylva and Maciver over alleged attempt to submit falsified affidavit and documents to the court.