ICYMI: Supreme Court affirms Diri’s election as Bayelsa gov

The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Senator Douye Diri as the validly elected governor of Bayelsa state. 

The apex court in a judgment delivered on Friday, dismissed the appeal brought before it by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Timipre Sylvia in the November 11 Bayelsa state governorship election and his party challenging Diri’s victory in the election.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Garba Lawal, the apex court held that the appeal by Sylvia and the APC was not only lacking merit but a gross abuse of the court process. 

The unanimous decision of the apex court upheld the earlier decision of the Court of Appeal and the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which affirmed Diri’s election.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had, in a unanimous judgment delivered on July 18, 2024, affirmed the decision of the Bayelsa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had upheld the November 11, 2023, re-election of Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State.

A three-member panel of the appellate court had in the judgment dismissed an appeal brought before the Court by Timipre Sylva and his party seeking to set aside the decision of the Tribunal.

The Justice Adekunle Adeleye-led three-member tribunal had on May 27, dismissed the petition filed against Governor Diri’s re-election by the APC and its candidate for lacking in merit. 

The tribunal had held that both Sylva and APC failed to adduce any credible evidence to substantiate any of the allegations they raised against the outcome of the governorship poll.

Details later…

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