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Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
A lawmaker representing Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Israel Sunny-Goli, has commended the Supreme Court for deepening democracy in the country with its verdict.
A five-man panel of Supreme Court judges led by Justice Mary Odili in a judgment in an appeal marked SC/35/2020 filed by the former Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri, ruled that Lyon was validly nominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) party as its flagbearer.
Justice John Inyang Okoro, who read the lead judgment, agreed with the verdict of the Port Harcourt division of the Court of Appeal that Lokpobiri’s case was statute-barred, having not been filed within the 14 days allowed under the 4th Alteration as contained in section 285 of the Constitution.
The ruling by the Supreme Court has finally laid to rest the pre-election dispute between Lokpobiri and Lyon over the latter’s emergence as the party’s candidate.
Sunny-Goli, speaking in an interview, said the Supreme Court has given Bayelsans an early Valentine gift with its verdict that upheld the candidacy of Lyon in the November 16 governorship election.
“The Supreme Court verdict is the best Valentine verdict for Bayelsans. Now the people of the state can have a governor of their choice. Now is the time for us to come together and be ready to build our state. Bayelsans are happy that the incoming government is focused on its mission to develop the state,” said the lawmaker.
The Secretary of the party, Mr Martins Alabo, also in an interview, said the Supreme Court verdict has shown that the party and Bayelsans did not make a mistake by choosing David Lyon.
He expressed sadness that Lokpobiri filed the suit in cahoots with APC’s main opposition, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), with the sole aim to destabilise the APC and disrupt its efforts to govern the state.
According to him, the Supreme Court has ended the plot and Bayelsans are happy that they are going to have a new governor.
