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Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa and Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by a former minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Heineken Lokpobiri challenging the emergency of Bayelsa State governor-elect, David Lyon, as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the September 4, 2019 governorship primary of the party.
He specifically challenged the decision of the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, which dismissed his appeal for being statute barred.
A five-man panel of justices led by Peter Odili, in a unanimous judgment dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit.
Iyang Okoro, who delivered the lead judgment, agreed with the Court of Appeals that the suit filed by Lokpobiri at the Federal High Court was statute barred as it was filed outside the 14 days provided by section 285 (9) of the 4th Alteration Act.
The Federal High Court in Yenegoa had in its judgment delivered on November 14, 2019, upheld Lokpobiri’s case and nullified Lyon’s nomination as the APC’s candidate for the November 17, 2019 governorship election in the state.
But the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, on January 11, 2019, upturned the Federal High Court judgment and affirmed Lyon’s nomination.
The apex court in its judgment on Tuesday, upheld the Court of Appeal’s judgment laying to rest the dispute about the APC’s nominated candidate for the governorship poll.
Lyon is billed for inauguration on Friday at Yenagoa to take over from Governor Seriake Dickson.
Meanwhile, Governor Dickson, has said the execution of various legacy projects by his administration will remain a reference point in the history of development in the state.
Governor Dickson made the assertion during the commissioning of the multi-door court house at the High Court Complex in Yenagoa.
His Chief Press Secretary, Fidelis Soriwei, in a statement said the governor also commissioned some high profile internal roads within the state capital as well as the Ijaw Heroes Park.
