The Court of Appeal Abuja has dismissed the appeal brought before it by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva to challenge the judgment of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
The Tribunal had in its judgment delivered May 17, 2024, in Abuja, upheld the election and the return of Senator Douye Diri and his deputy, Senator Lawrence Eruwjadkpo as lawfully elected governor and deputy respectively.
Justice James Abundaga who read the lead judgment of the Court of Appeal affirmed the declaration of Diri and the People’s Democratic Party PDP as the joint winners of the November 11, 2023 poll.
He awarded a cost of N500,000 to be paid by APC and Sylva to the respondents in the appeal.
The appellate court held that the appellants did not produce credible evidence that the election took place in 184 polling units of Nembe, Ogbia and Southern Ijaw.
The court also held that going by the evidence and exhibit tendered that the election was not conducted in that disputed areas by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the issue of vote collation could not have risen.
