Tribunal dismisses APC’s petition, affirms Diri as Bayelsa governor

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On Monday, the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja upheld Governor Douye Diri’s re-election.

A three-member panel, chaired by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, dismissed the petition filed by All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Timipre Sylva and his party, citing a lack of merit.

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In a unanimous decision, the tribunal ruled that the petitioners failed to present credible evidence to support their allegations against Diri’s re-election.

The tribunal struck out all the additional evidence and statements on oath of some of the petitioners’ witnesses for being incompetent.

The tribunal held that the petitioners failed to file their additional proof of evidence within the 21 days allowed by law.

The tribunal held that the decision by Sylva and his party to file their additional proof of evidence and statement on oath of witnesses, long after they had filed the petition, was “tantamount to a surreptitious attempt to amend the case of the petitioners”.