Breaking News: Tribunal Nullifies Bayelsa Governorship Election

August 17, 2020

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The Bayelsa state governorship election tribunal sitting in Abuja has nullified the election of Governor Duoye Diri, of Bayelsa state.

Delivering the lead judgement, Justice Yunusa Musa ordered INEC to order a fresh election within 90 days.

Justice Musa described the action of INEC to exclude the ANDP from the Bayelsa Governorship Election as illegal.

In a split judgement of two-one, the three-man panel ruled that INEC does not have the power to disqualify any candidate for any election.

The Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP) had approached the tribunal seeking the cancellation of the election because it was excluded from the exercise.

The ANDP is claiming that the party was unlawfully excluded from the election.

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ANDP told Justice Yunusa Musa who is delivering the lead judgment that its initial Deputy Governorship Candidate, David Esinkuma was duly substituted by the Party within the allowed time frame, following the notification from INEC that he’s under-age.

But the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in its argument said that the party’s Deputy Governorship candidate was 34 years old as at the time of nomination and therefore did not qualify to contest the election.

Diri, a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was sworn in as governor after the supreme court sacked David Lyon as governor-elect 24 hours before his inauguration.

The apex court based its rulings on the premise that Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo, running mate of the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), presented forged certificates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

More update later…