A flurry of moves to Stop Bayelsa poll

Nnamdi Felix / Abuja

The last appears not to have been heard about the determination of embattled former governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Timipre Silva, to participate in the state’s governorship election as an ex parte motion filed at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday, seeks to put the election on hold.

The motion which was filed by the flag bearer of the African Renaissance Party, ARP, Chief Kenneth Gbaligah Gbalikumah, is seeking for an order of interim injunction stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from conducting Bayelsa state gubernatorial election on Saturday, 11th February, as scheduled.

The matter has been slated for hearing tomorrow (Friday).

Similarly, the court in another matter on Thursday, ordered the electoral body to include the name of the standard bearer of the African Liberation Party, ALP, Chief Dumbo Hink and his running mate, Mr. Adigio Austine, in the ballot paper to be used for the scheduled Saturday election in state.

The party approached the court through a motion ex-parte and requested that it make an order of interim injunction directing INEC to include the name of the party in the list of political parties participating in the saturday election and the names of his candidates for the said election.

Chief Kenneth Gbaligah Gbalikumah and his party, the African Renaissance Party, ARP, are seeking for a declaration that by the combined effects of the judgment of the Supreme Court in the matter of Osun state Independent Electoral Commission, OSIEC versus the Action Congress of Nigeria, and the provision of Section 30 of the Electoral Act 2010, that the 12 days notice of the election into the vacant office of the governor of Bayelsa state by INEC is null and void as it is inconsistent with Section 30 of Electoral Act.

The governorship contender further sought for a declaration that INEC cannot validly conduct governorship election in Bayelsa state in accordance with Section 30 of the Electoral Act and therefore sought for an order directing INEC to give statutory notice of election into the vacant office of the governor of Bayelsa state as prescribed by Section 30 of Electoral Act.

The court was also asked to restrain INEC from giving effect to the implementation of its 12 days notice of election into the office of the governor of Bayelsa state.

The Supreme Court had fixed the delivery of its judgment in the appeal brought before it by Chief Silva challenging the refusal by his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, to clear him to contest the party’s primary election for the selection of its flag bearer, for 20th March, over one month after the scheduled election would have taken place.

The flurry of cases via ex parte motions at the Federal High Court by fringe political parties and their candidates appear to be in sympathy with the aspirations of the former governor for another shot at the office from which he, alongside four others, were sacked recently by the apex court.