Skip to main content

Former Bayelsa Governor Timipre Sylva Withdraws Petition Against Ben Murray Bruce’s Senatorial Election

Sylva, who was the candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Bayelsa East Senatorial Seat, approached the State Election Petition Tribunal to declare the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Bruce was not qualified to contest the seat because he holds dual citizenship.

Image

Former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, has withdrawn a petition he filed against Senator Ben Bruce at an Election Tribunal in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State.

Sylva, who was the candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Bayelsa East Senatorial Seat, approached the State Election Tribunal to declare that the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Bruce was not qualified to contest the seat because he holds dual citizenship.

Sydney Ibanichuka, the counsel to former Governor Sylva, said the reason for Sylva’s withdrawal of the petitions was in the interest of peace saying he “has agreed to withdraw for the interest of peace in Bayelsa and Nigeria at large."

"I want to see the withdrawal as a personal sacrifice from their hearts. The petitioner secured the Tribunal's order to inspect the election materials. He also secured an order for forensic experts to examine the materials. They had a good case that bothers on irregularities in the election. The decision is a sacrifice."

At the hearing yesterday in Yenagoa, the presiding Chairperson of the State Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Ononeze Madu, said the Tribunal was committed to ensuring justice for the betterment of the citizenry and has accepted the decision of the petitioners.

Topics
Legal