From Joseph Obukata (The New Diplomat’s N’Delta Correspondent)
A coalition of groups in Bayelsa State have protested the ruling of the governorship election petition tribunal which nullified the November 16th election that brought Governor Douye Diri to power.
The tribunal in its ruling on Monday had ordered that a bye election be conducted within 90 days in the state.
The tribunal held that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wrongly excluded the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP) and its governorship candidate from the November 16, 2019 election in the state.
The groups comprising of market Women, student unions and Non-Indigenes in Bayelsa State, alleged that the petition filed by ANDP was an attempt to destabilise governance in Bayelsa State.
National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the National Union Of Bayelsa State Students (NUBSS), who led other groups including market women and Non-Indigenes Associations in the state, said they were rejecting the verdict to foster political stability and proactive development in the state.
Some of the placards bore by the protesters read: “We say no to sponsored verdicts”, “Nembe people rejected disruption of governance in Bayelsa”, “On Douye Diri we stand in Ogbia and “Tribunal verdict is evil”.
They claimed that the verdict of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal is a “clear attempt to disrupt the ongoing good policies of the present administration on prompt payment of workers’ salary, pension payment and anticipated development”.
Comrade Jacob Keneth (NANS, Bayelsa), said, “As students and intellectuals, we want to totally condemn and reject the verdict of the Election Petition Tribunal because Governor Douye Diri is doing well and as student, we believe in his educational policy.
“And we believe that the present administration has come to salvage the plight of the Nigerian Students in Bayelsa State. We call on the judiciary that the Nigerian Students say no to the tribunal actions and we declare our support for the Governor.”
Comrade Diepreye Solomon Gbigbo, NUBSS president said, the decision of the tribunal is a kill-joy for the student community and it must be rejected, maintaining, “since Governor Douye Diri assume office, our parents have been smiling through the quick and prompt payment of salaries and other policies. We call on the petitioners to voluntarily withdraw their cases from the court to allow Governor to deliver the good deeds for the Nigerian students in Bayelsa.”
Also speaking, the representative of Non-Indigenes in Bayelsa State, led by the Director-General of the Unified Non-Indigene Association and Ohaneze Youth Wing Coordinator, (South-South) Chief Chinedu Arthur Uba, called on the petitioners at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to shun divisive and ‘pull-him-down’ action that is generating tension and fuelling insecurity in the state.
“These people should allow Governor Douye Diri to be focused and continue what he has started in the state. We are groups of businessmen in the state and we need political stability and security for businesses to strive. We call on those against the Governor to sheath their swords and allow proper development in the state”.
The protesting groups also declared their total support for the decision of Governor Diri to seek redress at the Appeal Court over the Election Tribunal verdict, declaring that they have confidence in the higher court to quash the verdict of the tribunal.
