Tribunal nullifies Bayelsa governorship election, Orders new poll in 90 days

The Bayelsa State Gubernatorial Petition Tribunal has nullified the election of Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State.

The election was nullified based on a petition by the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP), which argued that it was unlawfully excluded from participating in the election.

The tribunal ruling can, however, still be challenged at the appeal court.

More details on the tribunal’s Monday ruling will be provided in subsequent updates.

The ANDP had through its governorship candidate, King Lucky George, and National Chairman, Charles Ogboli, approached the tribunal seeking the nullification of the November 19, 2019 governorship election.

The party demanded an order for a fresh election on the grounds that its name and logo were excluded from the ballot papers used for the election.

The counsel to the party, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), told the tribunal that INEC witnessed and monitored its governorship primary and that it was curious and unacceptable that the electoral body later excluded it from the election.

The counsel to INEC, Ibrahim Bawa (SAN), told the tribunal that after examining the evidence tabled by the petitioners, the commission preferred not to call any witness.

The lawyers for the PDP, Emmanuel Enoidem, and Governor Diri, Gordy Uche (SAN), spoke along the same line, saying instead of calling witnesses, they would submit documents to the tribunal.

Monday’s ruling comes two days after the tribunal dismissed three other petitions against the election of Mr Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party.

GbaramatuVoice reported how the three-member tribunal dismissed the three petitions filed by separate parties on Saturday.

Read our story on Saturday rulings below.
The Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, on Saturday, dismissed three petitions against Duoye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and affirmed him the duly elected governor of the state.

The petitions dismissed by the tribunal were filed by the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the United People’s Congress (UPC) and the Liberation Movement (LM).

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Supreme Court, on February 13, sacked David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the governor-elect barely 24 hours to his inauguration.

The apex court based its rulings on the premise that his deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, presented false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in aid of his qualification for the November 16 governorship election in the state.