The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disclosed that its governorship primary in Bayelsa State will be open for all aspirants to contest.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, who made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television’s on Thursday, said this is to ensure fairness and adherence to the Electoral Act 2022.
The primary election of the party is scheduled to hold today (Friday).
He said though the party leaders have sympathy for David Lyon over the loss of his mandate in 2020, “you cannot use sympathy to upstage legality and due process”.
Lyon, the APC candidate in the 2019 Bayelsa State Governorship Election, had been declared Governor-Elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
However, in February 2020, the Supreme Court sacked the Lyon, and his Deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo and affirmed Duoye Diri and Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo as Bayelsa governor and deputy governor respectively
Lyon’s election was nullified after his deputy was accused of submitting forged certificates to INEC.
Lyon has bought the party’s N50m governorship ticket to contest Friday’s primary. Amongst some of his co-contenders is a former governor of the state and an ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
Off-cycle governorship elections are expected to hold in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states on November 11, 2023.