Bayelsa Guber: Tribunal reserves judgment in petition against Diri

The Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has reserved judgment in a petition filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylvia against the declaration of Douye Diri as the governor of the state in the November 2023 election. Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Adekunle Adeleye, on Monday in Abuja, announced that the judgment would be delivered within the 180 days statutorily allowed by law. The chairman said that all the parties in the petition would be communicated as soon as the judgment delivery date is fixed. At Monday’s proceedings, the petitioners, Sylvia and APC, adopted their final written address, praying the tribunal to annul the declaration of Diri as the winner of the election. Their lead counsel, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, told the tribunal that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, embarked on wrongful exclusion of results before arriving at the declaration of Diri as winner. The petitioners’ lawyer stated that the electoral body did not debunk the allegation of wrongful exclusion of results by not calling the state election result collation officer to testify. He therefore urged the tribunal to objectively decide the petition on the strength of the evidence adduced by the petitioners, especially because INEC did not call a single witness to challenge all the allegations. However, Diri’s counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, informed the tribunal that the petition by Sylvia died on arrival because it is grossly deficient in quantity and quality of evidence. He said that the petition was baseless, frivolous and vexatious, and grossly lacking in merit because the two petitioners did not discharge the burden placed on them by law Among others, Uche said that Sylva predicated his petition on alleged refusal of INEC to collate results in three local governments areas- Southern Ijaw, Nembe and Ogbia but failed to call a single collation officer to back up its claim Besides, Uche said that Sylvia did not tender voter register, BVAS machines, and form EC8A used for the purported election in the three local governments to establish his allegations. The senior lawyer also said that the petitioner himself, despite having a witness statement on oath, refused to give evidence before the tribunal to substantiate his allegations. The senior lawyer also said that the petitioner himself, despite having a witness statement on oath, refused to give evidence before the tribunal to substantiate his allegations. Uche pleaded with the tribunal to discountenance the evidence of a former Police Commissioner in the state on the ground that the police officer admitted before the tribunal that he had issues with Diri when the Prado Jeep earlier given to him was withdrawn. Uche also urged the tribunal not to invoke the spirit of the judgment that brought Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma, into office, adding that INEC has established beyond doubt that election did not hold in the three local governments due to resistance by some hoodlums to the use of BVAS machines. Similarly, INEC, represented by Charles Edosomwan, SAN, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, represented by Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, canvassed for dismissal of the petition on the ground that the two petitioners failed and neglected to discharge the burden of establishing their allegations against the election beyond reasonable doubt as required by law. They asserted that they did not call witnesses because the witnesses of petitioners killed and buried the petition while being cross examined during the proceedings. It will be recalled that INEC had declared Diri winner of the gubernatorial election on the ground that he scored the majority of lawful votes cast in the poll.

Diri Secures Second Term, Defeats Sylva in Bayelsa Governorship Election

Diri Secures Second Term, Defeats Sylva in Bayelsa Governorship Election

Governor Douye Diri has successfully secured a second term in office, emerging as the winner of the fiercely contested Bayelsa governorship election. The Returning Officer, Prof Faruq Kuta, declared Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the winner after a prolonged process with multiple breaks and adjournments. Diri garnered a total of 175,196 votes, defeating his main rival, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 110,108 votes. The victory margin for the PDP candidate was significant, with 65,088 votes ahead. The Labour Party (LP) secured a distant third place with a total of 905 votes. In a field of 18 candidates, Sylva was Diri’s primary contender, seeking to return as the governor for a third term. However, a month before the election, a Federal High Court in Abuja initially disqualified Sylva, citing constitutional limits on the number of terms served. Although the APC candidate challenged the decision and won an appeal, the 2023 election concluded with victory for Diri. The election results mark a decisive moment for Diri, who first assumed office in 2020. The PDP mobilized support in the face of legal challenges, including Sylva’s temporary disqualification, to secure a notable win in the oil-rich state.