Bayelsa 2023: Why David Lyon was not given automatic ticket – APC

The All Progressives Congress has explained why its candidate that won the Bayelsa State governorship election in 2020, David Lyon, was not given automatic ticket for the 2023 poll.

Its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, stated this on Thursday on a Channels Television programme: “Politics Today.”

Moria said this was because of the desire of the party for all aspirants to contest for the sake of fairness and in adherence to the Electoral Act, 2022.

He said though the party leaders have sympathy for Lyon who lost his mandate on the eve of his inauguration owing to a Supreme Court ruling, “you cannot use sympathy to upstage legality and due process”.

Lyon lost his position because his running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo, submitted forged certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Apart from Lyon, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, and four others have bought the APC’s N50 million nominations forms to contest the party’s primaries on Friday.

Morka said: “He (David Lyon) contested election and he won and the majority votes that he scored was never challenged or disputed.

“So, the fact that he was not inaugurated as governor was not because there was any question mark on his victory.

“He won the election free and clear but unfortunately some technical issues with the fellow who ran with him warranted some court order and deprived him of the fruit of that success.”