The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the re-election of Senator Douye Diri as the governor of Bayelsa State.
In its ruling, the apex court dismissed the appeal filed by Timipre Sylva, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, and his party. Justice Garba Lawal, who delivered the lead judgment, stated that the appeal was not only without merit but also amounted to a gross abuse of the court process.
The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision affirmed the prior judgments of both the Court of Appeal and the Election Petition Tribunal.
On July 18, the Court of Appeal in Abuja had confirmed Diri’s re-election victory in the November 11, 2023, governorship election. The three-member panel, led by Justice James Abundaga, unanimously ruled that the appeal by Sylva and the APC lacked merit.
The court further held that the tribunal acted correctly in striking out several paragraphs of the petition challenging the governor’s election.
