From Joseph Obukata (The New Diplomat’s N’Delta Correspondent)
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has hailed Supreme Court Judges for what he described as their “uprightness” in the dispensation of justice over an appeal brought before the court by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) in the state, Ndutimi Alaibe.
Alaibe had approached the apex court with the appeal marked: SC/248/2020, sought to among others, set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the declaration of Diri as the winner of the governorship primary of the PDP held on September 3, 2019 for lacking in merit.
Read also: Appeal Court Strikes Out Timi Alaibe’s Suit Against Diri
The former Managing Director of the NDDC, had argued among others that the PDP committed electoral and constitutional illegality by blatantly allowing local government chairmen, councillors and all shades of ineligible persons to vote during the PDP governorship primaries in utter violation of the party’s guidelines which do not permit elected chairmen and councillors elected within 90 days to the election, to vote during governorship primaries.
However, at the mention of the appeal on Tuesday, a five-man panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour noted that the appeal was without merit.
Read also: Court Affirms Diri’s Election, Strikes Out Timi Alaibe’s Suit
The court’s panel also identified some other defects in the appeal and concluded the appeal did not fall within the purview of a pre-election matter, but an internal affair of a political party, which it has no jurisdiction to entertain.
Realizing the observations of the court, Alaibe’s lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) applied to withdraw the appeal, following which the court dismissed it.
Reacting to the verdict, Governor Diri who spoke to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday shortly after the apex court dismissed the Alaibe’s appeal challenging his victory at the September 3, 2019 governorship primary election of the PDP, said it was a victory for democracy.
Read also: Bayelsa Update: Concern Mounts As Alaibe, Diri Case Comes Up
Senator Diri, in a statement by his acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, averred that the judiciary remains the last hope of the common man in the country.
“Clearly and transparently, the Justices have displayed uprightness. They have also displayed that the Supreme Court is indeed the last court in Nigeria.
“I want to appreciate them and I believe and pray that God will continue to guide them, use them to do justice to all manner of people.”
He also appreciated Bayelsans home and abroad as well as lovers of the state government for their prayers and promised not to fail them.
