Less than 24 hours to the inauguration of a new administration in Bayelsa state the Supreme Court, on Thursday, gave a ruling that dashed the hope of the governor-elect of the State, David Lyon and his Deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo. The stood for the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The court sacked Lyon for presenting a
running mate with a fake certificate in the November 16, 2019
governorship election in the state.
The Apex court also declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Douye Diri as the authentic winner of the election.
A five-man panel of the apex court led by
Justice Mary Peter-Odili ordered the Independent National Electoral
Commission to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to the All
Progressives Congress candidates as the winners of the November 16, 2019
governorship election in the state.
Justice Ejembi Ekwo, who read the lead judgment made the orders after disqualifying the APC’s deputy governorship candidate, Degi-Eremienyo, as a candidate in the election.
The court upheld the November 12, 2019
judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which had disqualified
Degi-Eremienyo in the election for submitting forged certificates to
INEC.
The court ruled that Degi-Eremienyo’s disqualification had infected the joint ticket shared with Lyon at the November 16, 2019 election, thus nullifying the victory earlier given to them.
The five-man panel further held that on the basis of that both candidates and their party, the APC ought to have abstained from participating in the election.
Diri, the anointed candidate of outgoing governor, Seriake Dickson will now be sworn-in Friday, February 14. Perhaps that will assuage the anger of many people in the state who have criticized Dickson for the loss of the PDP at the election.