Victory For Degi At Appeal Court

The Court of Appeal Abuja Division Wednesday, July 20th, 2022 dismissed an appeal against the Judgment of the High Court of the FCT, challenging the competence of Senator Biobarakuma Degi Eremienyo to hold office as a sitting senator due to the decision of the Supreme Court which disqualified him and the former Bayelsa State Governor Elect on the grounds that he submitted forged credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Appellant had lost the suit at the High Court where he sought the order of the Court compelling the Police to prosecute the serving senator. The High Court however had dismissed his case while holding that there was no evidence of forgery against the Senator. The High Court further found in favor of the Senator and affirmed that his credentials were valid. Dissatisfied with the findings of the High Court, the Appellant proceeded to the Court of Appeal where his Appeal was dismissed for lacking merit. The Appellate Court re-affirmed the findings of the High Court.

The implications of the Court of Appeal’s decision is that there is no basis of the allegations of forgery of credentials against the serving senator, errors in spelling of names on his credentials have been regularised following the decision of the Supreme Court in 2020. The Respondent’s Counsel Barr Ebere Okonkwo who spoke to newsmen after the Court’s decision remarked that the judgment was a good win and lays the allegations of forgery of credentials against the Senator to rest, the issue having gone through trial and the allegations rebuffed with credible evidence.