From Godwin Tsa-Abuja
The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the election of Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ,as the validly elected governor of the state bringing the protracted legal battle between his rival, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC)to an end.
The seven-man panel of the apex court, led by Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, unanimously dismissed the appeal filed by Sylva for lacking in merit.
Justice Muhammad, who delivered the summary of the lead judgment, however, said he would give reasons for his decision on November 18, 2016.
The apex court delivered the judgment after hearing all the various cases filed with respect to the dispute over the last year’s governorship election in Bayelsa State.
The Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had earlier dismissed the petition filed by Sylva to challenge the outcome of the election.
Not satisfied with the verdict of the tribunal, Sylva appealed to the Court of Appeal in Abuja which also dismissed his case.
The Appeal Court, in a unanimous judgment by a five-man panel of justices, dismissed the joint appeal of the APC and its governorship candidate in the state, Sylva, against Dickson. Justice Rotimi Bada in the lead judgment, held that the appeal lacked merit, even as it upheld the July 26 verdict of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which declared Dickson of the PDP, as the bona-fide winner of the governorship contest.
Still not satisfied with the verdict of the Appeal Court, Sylva went further to the Supreme Court to challenge the decision of the Appeal Court.
Also on Tuesday, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who is also a member of the Supreme Court panel, dismissed a cross-appeal filed by Dickson challenging some aspects of the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the dispute over the Bayelsa State election.
In the said appeal, the appellant challenged the locus standi of Sylva to have filed an appeal at the election tribunal, arguing that having contested twice for the position of the governor of the state in previous elections, he lacked the legal right to file an appeal.
Other members of the panel also agreed with Justice Kekere-Ekun.
In another lead judgment, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola also dismissed the preliminary objection filed by the PDP against the appeal filed by Sylva.
Other members of the panel agreed with the lead judgment.
The panel members also promised to give reasons of the judgment on November 18, 2016
The appellants had, through their lawyer, Mr. Sebastine Hon (SAN), prayed the appellate court to set aside the decision of the tribunal, sack Dickson and order fresh governorship election in Bayelsa State. Sylva, who is a former governor of the state and his party, among other things, contended that the tribunal misled itself, misapplied the law and came to a wrong conclusion in its verdict when it declined to void the election which they said was fraught with manifest irregularities.