The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the re-election of Douye Diri as the Governor of Bayelsa State. In its judgment, the apex court dismissed the appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva, and his party.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Garba Lawal stated that the appeal lacked merit and constituted a gross abuse of the court process. The unanimous decision of the Supreme Court affirmed the earlier rulings of both the Court of Appeal and the Election Petition Tribunal.
On July 18, the Court of Appeal in Abuja had confirmed Governor Diri’s victory in the November 11, 2023, governorship election. The three-member panel, led by Justice James Abundaga, unanimously ruled that the appeal filed by Sylva and the APC was without merit.
ALSO READ Badaru orders immediate arrest of Gatawa District Head’s killers
The panel upheld the tribunal’s decision to strike out several paragraphs of the petition challenging the governor’s election.
The Election Petition Tribunal, on May 27, had dismissed Sylva’s petition, citing a lack of credible evidence to support the allegations against the election results. The tribunal, led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, ruled that the petitioners failed to present sufficient proof to substantiate their claims.
It also declared the additional evidence and witness statements submitted by the petitioners as incompetent.
According to the tribunal, the law clearly stipulates that an election petition must be filed within 21 days after the declaration of the election results.
