Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Senator Douye Diri of Bayelsa State as the true winner of the governorship of the state.
On Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by Timipre Sylvia, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate.
Justice Garba Lawal issued the lead ruling, which ruled that Sylvia and the APC’s appeal was not only without merit, but also a blatant abuse of the court process.
The unanimous decision of the Supreme Court confirmed the earlier decisions of the Court of Appeal and the Election Petition Tribunal.
On July 18, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Abuja unanimously affirmed the Bayelsa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s decision to uphold Diri’s reelection on November 11, 2023.
A three-man panel of the appellate court had in the judgment dismissed an appeal brought before the Court by Timipre Sylva and APC seeking to set aside the decision of the Tribunal.
The Justice Adekunle Adeleye-led tribunal had on May 27, 2024 dismissed the petition filed against Governor Diri’s reelection by the APC and its candidate for lacking in merit.
The tribunal 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 election.