Supreme Court Upholds Diri’s Re-election As Bayelsa Governor 

The Supreme Court has upheld the re-election victory of the Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The five-member panel of the Supreme Court in a unanimous decision dismissed the appeal of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Timipre Sylva, challenging the November 11, 2023 governorship election.

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

The Apex Court, in a unanimous decision, upheld the earlier decision of the Court of Appeal and the Election Petition Tribunal.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had on July 18, affirmed the re-election victory of Governor Diri of Bayelsa in the November 11, 2023 governorship poll.

The three-member panel of justices led by Justice James Abundaga, in a unanimous judgment, held that the appeal filed by the appellants; Mr Timipre Sylva and the All Progressives Congress (APC), lacked merit.

The panel held that the tribunal was not in error when it struck several paragraphs of the petitioner’s reply against the governor’s election.

In the same vein, the election tribunal had, on May 27, dismissed the petition filed by Sylva and APC.

The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye-led, dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.

In a unanimous decision, the tribunal held that the petitioners failed to adduce credible evidence to substantiate their allegations against the outcome of the state’s governorship poll.

It struck out all the additional proof of evidence and statements on oath of some of the witnesses who testified for the petitioners as incompetent.

According to the tribunal, the law expressly provided that an election petition must be filed no later than 21 days after the election result was declared.