Vice President Kashim Shettima was expected in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Saturday, October 14 but he eventually did not show up.
There is however more to it than the APC spin doctors want us to believe on why the President or his Vice did not attend the flag-off of the disqualified Bayelsa APC governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva’s campaign rally.
The truth is that they didn’t visit Yenagoa for the advertised event as doing so would have cast the administration as a non-respecter of the rule of law. Knowing the implication and consequences of the High Court ruling on Sylva’s candidature, they simply decided to obey legal advice and be cautious. They understood that the judgement was declarative and not subject to a stay of execution. So, it will be a jamboree to mount the rostrum to campaign for Sylva at this time. This is the fact.
If you don’t agree, I dare to say that none of them will come to Yenagoa to campaign for Sylva without a positive judicial pronouncement on his candidature.
I repeat: Bayelsa APC has no governorship candidate at the moment. That is the position of the court. And, according to lawyers, being a declarative judgement, it cannot be vacated by a stay of execution or merely filing an appeal. As it is, the Appeal Court will have to hear the matter conclusively before ruling to either quash the judgement of the lower court or uphold its decision.
APC and Sylva’s quagmire is that the election is less than a month away. If the appellate court doesn’t hear the matter expeditiously, then your guess is as good as mine.
Besides, there are still two other cases that are yet to be decided. Anything could happen.
For now, the status quo ante is that APC HAS NO CANDIDATE.
Egberifa!
Dan Alabrah
