Bayelsa guber: Supreme Court orders accelerated hearing of Alaibe’s appeal

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered parties in an appeal filed by Mr Timi Alaibe, challenging the election of Senator Duoye Diri as the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the February governorship election in Bayelsa State.

The five-member panel presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed asked the appellant and respondents to regularise their processes having withdrawn two applications pending before the court.

It would be recalled that shortly before the PDP primary election, Alaibe had dragged the party to the Federal High Court, Port-Harcourt disagreeing with the election of three-man delegates. Shortly after the court declined jurisdiction, he withdrew the case and participated, losing out to Diri.

After losing out in the primaries, Alaibe proceeded to the Federal High Court, Owerri, praying the court to nullify the primary election which Diri won.

Alaibe moved to the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri. In May 2020 the Appeal Court dismissed his appeal that fresh PDP governorship primary election be conducted.

Dissatisfied with the decision of the Appeal Court, Alaibe approached the apex court where he is praying the court to declare him the duly elected Governor of Bayelsa State.

The matter was, however, stalled, as the court asked Alaibe’s counsel, S.T. Ologunorisa, to regularise his processes, having withdrawn two applications which were not opposed by counsel to the defendant.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, counsel to the PDP and Governor Diri, Emmanuel Enoedem and Chief Chris Uche (SAN) said they were not in opposition to the application by the appellant to regularise his processes.

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