Supreme Court Upholds Diri’s Victory As Bayelsa Governor

The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday, upheld the election victory of Senator Douye Diri as the validly elected governor of Bayelsa State.

The apex court in its judgment, dismissed the appeal brought before it by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylvia, and his party.

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

The unanimous decision of the apex court upheld the earlier decision of the Court of Appeal and the Election Petition Tribunal.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja, had on July 18 in a unanimous judgment affirmed the decision of the Bayelsa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had upheld the November 11, 2023, re-election of Governor Diri.

A 3-man panel of the appellate court had in the judgment dismissed an appeal brought before the Court by Sylva and APC, seeking to set aside the decision of the Tribunal.

The Justice Adekunle Adeleye-led three-member tribunal had on May 27, dismissed the petition filed against Governor Diri’s re-election 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 poll.