The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa state is set to hold its governorship primaries on Wednesday following the decision of the Sagbama High Court sitting in Yenagoa to set aside an interim order stopping the party from conducting its governorship primaries in the state using direct mode.
The court presided by E.G. Umukoro, said the interim order, which he initially granted could no longer stand following argument against it contained in application on notice filed by the applicant respondent.
Reviewing the interim order against the position of the respondent, Umukoro said the kernel of the application was that the interim order was made without jurisdiction and was at variance with the Electoral Act, constitutions of the APC and the country.
He said the respondent applicant quoted some judicial precedent including the case of Sylva vs PDP 2012 and posited that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain pre-primary matter of any political party.
Quoting the position of the Supreme Court, he said: “The interim order is not sustainable and is hereby set aside as the court acted without jurisdiction”.
After the Court ruling, the Returning Officer for the Governorship primaries slated for Wednesday and the Governor of Yobe State, Mai-Mala Buni declared that the process to elect the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa state through direct primary method has commenced following the vacation of the court order that earlier disrupted it.
Buni, who spoke after meeting with the aspirants and major party stakeholders including the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva and the former Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri said the process would be concluded within the time frame stipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
