Appeal Court Upholds Diri’s Re-Election As Bayelsa Governor

Appeal Court Upholds Diri’s Re-Election As Bayelsa Governor

The Court of Appeal in Abuja recently upheld Governor Douye Diri’s re-election in Bayelsa State, dismissing an appeal from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva. In a unanimous decision by a three-man panel of Justices, the appellate court deemed the appeal incompetent and an abuse of court process. It affirmed the earlier ruling of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had refused to nullify the outcome of the gubernatorial poll held on November 11, 2023……… CONTINUE READING 

The tribunal, led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, had previously on May 27, dismissed the APC’s petition against Governor Diri’s re-election, citing insufficient credible evidence to substantiate their claims of irregularities. It struck down additional evidence and witness statements submitted belatedly by the petitioners, emphasizing that election petitions must be filed within 21 days of the election results being declared, accompanied by all intended witness statements.

Furthermore, the tribunal rejected allegations regarding the deputy governor’s educational qualifications, stating these were pre-election matters outside its jurisdiction. It noted that the petitioners’ prayer for both victory and invalidation of the election were contradictory, and criticized the APC for failing to provide electoral materials to prove their claims of irregularities.

Despite dissatisfaction with the election outcome, Sylva’s plea to the tribunal to invalidate Diri’s Certificate of Return was dismissed. The tribunal accepted INEC’s evidence that elections did not occur in disputed local government areas (LGAs) and found no substantiated evidence to support the exclusion of results from those areas during collation.

In conclusion, the Court of Appeal’s decision marks a definitive ruling in favor of Governor Douye Diri, reinforcing the outcome of the 2023 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State.