The Supreme Court on Friday confirmed the re-election of Douye Diri as the governor of Bayelsa State.
In its ruling, the apex court dismissed the appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva, and his party.
Justice Garba Lawal, delivering the lead judgment, stated that the appeal by Mr. Sylva and the APC was without merit and constituted a gross abuse of the court process.
The unanimous decision of the Supreme Court upheld the earlier rulings of both the Court of Appeal and the election petition tribunal.
The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal had previously affirmed Mr. Diri’s victory in the November 11, 2023, governorship election in Bayelsa. The three-member panel, led by Justice James Abundaga, unanimously concluded that the appeal by Mr. Sylva and the APC lacked substance.
The panel also found that the tribunal was correct in striking out several paragraphs of the petitioners’ reply against Governor Diri’s election.
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Earlier, on May 27, the election tribunal had dismissed the petition filed by Mr. Sylva and the APC, also citing a lack of merit. The tribunal, led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, ruled that the petitioners had failed to provide credible evidence to support their claims against the election results.
Additionally, the tribunal struck out all the additional evidence and witness statements presented by the petitioners, declaring them incompetent. The tribunal noted that the law requires an election petition to be filed no later than 21 days after the election results are declared.