Gov. Diri floors LP, ADC, NRM at 2023 Bayelsa Gov. Election Tribunal

The Bayelsa Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed petitions by Kalango Stanley Davies of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Engr. Udengs Eradiri of the Labour party and Micah Akeems of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) in the November 11 gubernatorial poll.

While the petitions of the Labour Party and the NRM were dismissed last month, that of Kalango Stanley Davies of African Democratic Congress (ADC) was dismissed on Monday by the Governorship election tribunal.

The three petitions were dismissed for lacking in Merit and mere waste of precious time of the court.

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The tribunal, in the case of the ADC affirmed that both Governor Douye Diri and Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, were qualified to contest the election.

The court also acknowledged previous judgment on the NYSC certificate of the Deputy Governor and that the issue had since been put to rest. According to the Tribunal, the petitioner failed to prove how the alleged non- compliance with electoral act substantially affected the November 11, 2023 election.

The Court regrettably noted that no single polling unit agent of ADC as a party was called to give evidence on any possible unit results. In all the circumstances, the petition has been dismissed for lacking in merit.

In the petition filed by the candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) in the November 11 gubernatorial poll, Mr. Micah Akeems against Governor Douye Diri of the PDP for lacking in merit.

NRM polled 415 votes in the election won by the incumbent Governor, Senator Diri of the PDP who polled 175,196 votes as declared by INEC.

The Petitioner, Mr. Akeems had approached the tribunal on the ground that the second and third Respondents being Gov. Diri and his running mate, the Deputy Governor, Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, did not score majority of lawful votes cast in the election.

The Tribunal dismissed all the three grounds raised by the petitioner involving the conduct of the election, nomination and eligibility of the Deputy Governor, Senator Ewhrudjakpo.

The court ruled that the petitioner failed to prove the allegation of substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act, in the election.

Also, the Tribunal said the petitioner had no locus to challenge the eligibility of the candidate of another political party as issues of nomination had since been resolved to be the internal affairs of political parties.

The court also said that the issue of the NYSC certificate of the Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, had previously been resolved and remains a pre-election matter and ought not to be brought before the tribunal.