The Supreme Court, yesterday, affirmed the Bayelsa State governor-elect, David Lyon, as the valid candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship election in the state.
A five-man panel of the court led by Justice Mary Peter-Odili unanimously dismissed the appeal filed by Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who had instituted his case seeking to be declared the valid winner of the September 4, 2019, primary election of the All Progressives Congress.
Delivering the lead judgement of the apex court, Justice Inyang Okoro affirmed the January 11, 2020 judgement of the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal, which had held that Lokpobiri’s suit challenging Lyon’s victory in the primary election was filed out of time at the Federal High Court, Yenegoa.
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 judgement and affirmed Lyon’s nomination.
However, the Supreme Court, yesterday, upheld the Court of Appeal’s judgement laying to rest the dispute about the APC’s nominated candidate for the governorship poll.
Reacting to the verdict, the All Progressives Congress (APC) lauded the Supreme Court judgment affirming Bayelsa Governor-elect, David Lyon, as the valid candidate of APC.
The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yekini Nabena, said this in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking with journalists shortly after the Supreme Court ruling.
According him, the court verdict dismissing Sen Heineken Lokpobiri’s case has justified the will of Bayelsa electorate.
It would be recalled that Lokpobiri had petitioned the Election Tribunal challenging the election of Lyon as APC candidate, asking the court to declare him as the valid candidate.
However, a five-member panel of the court led by Justice Mary Peter-Odili unanimously dismissed Lokpobiri’s appeal seeking the court to declare him the valid APC candidate.
Nabena, who described Lokpobiri’s case as baseless, said that the court judgment sided with the will of Bayelsa people.
“I congratulate the Bayelsa Governor-elect, Chief David Lyon and all party stakeholders on the Supreme Court ruling affirming Lyon as the valid APC Governorship candidate for Bayelsa. The Apex Court in its ruling sided with Bayelsa people.
“From the APC primaries to the governorship election, it was clear that Bayelsa people knew who they wanted to govern them,” the party chieftain said.
He said that the decision of party members and the Bayelsa electorate was unanimous as seen in the overwhelming votes they gave Lyon in the APC direct primaries and governorship election.
“As we can see, that petition has been dismissed and put to rest by the Supreme Court. We are now focused on delivering our electoral promise to Bayelsa people and bring true development which our dear state deserves.
“Finally, Bayelsa people can go home and enjoy responsibly a glass of Heineken,” Nabena said.