Bayelsa guber poll: Tension as court hears ineligibility suit against Sylva’s running mate Friday

<p>There is tension in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, over the resumed hearing of the substantive suit filed against the Bayelsa All Progressives Congress, APC, Deputy Governorship candidate, Great Joshua Maciver, over his alleged ineligibility to contest the November 11th gubernatorial poll.</p>, <p>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, is challenging the eligibility of Joshua Maciver and seeking his disqualification as the party’s running mate.</p>, <p>DAILY POST gathered that the petition is on the alleged grounds that he is an ex-convict who was sentenced to 10 years prison term for Terrorism and Sea Piracy but escaped from prison without completing his sentence.</p>, <p>In suit number FHC/YNG/CS114/2023/, the APC was listed as the first defendant, while the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Timipre Sylva, and Joshua MacIver are the second, third and fourth defendants, respectively.</p>, <p>Also, a civil society group, Coalition for Social Justice and Equity Initiative, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme,PAP, Maj Gen Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd.) and Sylva to insert Maciver’s mame into the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, database and tender an affidavit to back it up in the court.</p>, <p>The group in a statement issued in Yenagoa, on Wednesday, called on the Presiding Judge, Justice Olaide Quadiri, and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to be on the alert in order to stop the alleged plot.</p>, <p>The Coalition for Social Justice and Equity Initiative, through its Public Relations Officer, Ezra Areo, said, “Information at our disposal has revealed that the duo of the Presidential Amnesty Boss, Maj Gen Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd.), the Governorship aspirant of APC, Chief Timipre Sylva are plotting to insert the name of the embattled running mate, Joshua Maciver into the Amne