By Ken Afor
Timipre Sylva, the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State and former Minister of State for Petroleum, has expressed his discontent with the recent ruling of the Bayelsa Governorship Election Tribunal.
The New Diplomat reports that the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal upheld the re-election of Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State on Monday.
The three-man panel, led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, dismissed the petition filed by the APC and its candidate, Sylva, stating in a unanimous decision that the petitioners failed to provide credible evidence to substantiate their allegations against the outcome of the Bayelsa State governorship election.
The tribunal also declared as incompetent all additional proof of evidence and sworn statements of some witnesses presented by the petitioners.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued by Sylva’s Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Julius Bokoru, the former governor of Bayelsa State immediately convened a meeting with party elders and stakeholders following the tribunal’s decision.
According to reports, he instructed his legal team to promptly pursue justice by appealing the ruling at the Court of Appeal.
Prior to Monday’s verdict by the tribunal, Sylva had raised concerns about perceived bias, citing multiple irregularities witnessed by his legal representatives during the proceedings. Consequently, he had lodged an interlocutory appeal, urging for the dissolution of the tribunal and the formation of a new one.
“We are not satisfied with the decision of the tribunal. But this is just a court of first instance and after meeting with the elders and critical stakeholders of our great party, the APC, we directed our legal team to seek justice for Bayelsa at the Supreme Court.
“No quantum of miscarriage of justice will make us lose confidence in the Nigerian judicial system. It’s all we have. Some of the finest Nigerians I know are in our judiciary. What surprised me in today’s judgment is an ‘Election Petitions Tribunal’ making conclusive findings on criminal allegations without calling witnesses or experts. Well, considering the antecedents of this Tribunal, we are not surprised. Thankfully, we can still seek redress in the Appellate Courts.”
The APC governorship candidate reassured the people of Bayelsa State that the Court of Appeal would rectify the injustice done by the tribunal. He stated that the liberation of Bayelsa was imminent and emphasized that justice would prevail for the people of the state who have endured hardship. He appealed to them to maintain positive focus, adhere to the law, and remain steadfast.
It would be recalled that after the November 11, 2023 governorship election in the state, Diri, who contested for the second term in office, was declared winner after securing 175,196 votes, to defeat Sylva who scored 110,108 votes, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
