The Appeal court in a unanimous judgment, set aside the judgment of the Bayelsa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which nullified Diri’s election and ordered INEC to conduct fresh elections within 90 days.
Recall that the Tribunal had sacked Governor Douye Diri on August 17.
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The New Diplomat had reported that Diri’s election was nullified due to a petition by the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP) that it was unlawfully excluded from participating in the poll.
The tribunal, therefore ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election within 90 days.
But the Court of Appeal on Friday said the ANDP did not prove valid nomination of its candidate to contend unlawful exclusion.
The five-man panel held that the tribunal acted outside its jurisdiction in nullifying the election.
Details later….
