Bayelsa Governor, Douye Diri has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal brought against his election by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva in the November 11, 2023 Bayelsa governorship election.
Diri insisted before the apex court that Sylva’s appeal was bad and beyond redemption as no witness or documents supported his request being made at the court.
At Monday’s proceedings, Governor Diri, represented by Chris Uche, SAN maintained that the appeal against Diri was devoid of merit and should be dismissed in its entirety.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) represented by Charles Edoshomwan, SAN, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) represented by Tayo Oyetibo, SAN all supported the call for the dismissal of the appeal for want of merit.
However, Sylva represented by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN pleaded with the apex court to set aside the judgments of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal which had earlier dismissed his petition.
Sylva specifically asked the Supreme Court to invalidate the declaration of Diri by INEC as winner of the governorship election and declare him as the lawful winner of the election.
After taking arguments from the lawyers involved, Justice Garba Lawal, who presided over the panel, deferred judgment till a date that would be communicated to parties in the matter.
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