Bayelsa governorship election: Diri gives Slyva final knockout at Supreme Court
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The the Court of Appeal in Abuja had, on July 18, affirmed the re-election victory of Gov. Diri of Bayelsa in the Nov. 11, 2023 governorship poll. The three-member panel of justices led by Justice James Abundaga, in a unanimous judgment, held that the appeal filed by the appellants; Mr Timipre Sylva and the All Progressives Congress (APC), lacked merit. The panel held that the tribunal was not in error when it struck several paragraphs of the petitioner’s reply against the governor’s election. The election tribunal had, on May 27, dismissed the petition filed by Sylva and APC.
By Ebere Agozie/Taiye Agbaje
Sen. Douye Diri of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP on Friday finally floored Timipre Sylvia of All Progressives Congress, APC in the battle for November 11 2023 Bayelsa governorship election as the supreme court.
The five man panel of the apex court in the judgment delivered on Friday dismissed the appeal by Slyva and his party on the judgments of the lower courts that had earlier affirmed victory of Diri in the governorship poll.
The panel of the apex court, in the lead judgment delivered by Justice Garba Lawal, held that the appeal by Sylvia and APC was not only lacking merit but a gross abuse of court process.
The unanimous decision of the apex court upheld the earlier decision of the Court of Appeal and the Election Petition Tribunal.
The the Court of Appeal in Abuja had, on July 18, affirmed the re-election victory of Gov. Diri of Bayelsa in the Nov. 11, 2023 governorship poll.
The three-member panel of justices led by Justice James Abundaga, in a unanimous judgment, held that the appeal filed by the appellants; Mr Timipre Sylva and the All Progressives Congress (APC), lacked merit.
The panel held that the tribunal was not in error when it struck several paragraphs of the petitioner’s reply against the governor’s election.
The election tribunal had, on May 27, dismissed the petition filed by Sylva and APC.
The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye-led, dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.
In a unanimous decision, the tribunal held that the petitioners failed to adduce credible evidence to substantiate their allegations against the outcome of the state’s governorship poll.
It struck out all the additional proof of evidence and statements on oath of some of the witnesses who testified for the petitioners as incompetent.
According to the tribunal, the law expressly provided that an election petition must be filed no later than 21 days after the election result was declared.(NAN)
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