Bayelsa Election: Governor Duoye To Know Fate As Tribunal Set For Judgement

The Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja is set to deliver judgments in three petitions.

The petitions are that of Vijah Opuama of the Liberation Movement versus the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and three others.

The second petition is between Ibiene Stephen of United Peoples Congress and INEC and three others while the third petition is between Owei Woniwei of Alliance for Democracy and Governor Duoye Diri and three others.

The petitioners are challenging the election of Senator Diri as the duly elected Governor of Bayelsa State.

This comes a month after the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal filed by a former aspirant of the Bayelsa governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Timi Alaibe, challenging the candidacy of Senator Diri in the November 2019 election.

Alaibe who had earlier lost a similar suit at the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal is claiming that he is the authentic candidate of the PDP.

But the court dismissed the case on Tuesday, on the ground that it was a pre-election matter.

Governor Diri was sworn in on February 14, a day after the Supreme Court sacked the former governor-elect of Bayelsa State, David Lyon, and his Deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo.

Lyon’s election was nullified for submitting forged certificates to INEC.

Details later…