Bayelsa poll: S’Court reserves judgment in Sylva’s appeal

The Supreme Court on Monday reserved judgment in the appeal filed by Timipre Sylva, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa.

The five-member panel headed by Justice Garba Lawal, adjourned the judgment to a date that would be communicated to parties after counsel adopted their processes in the appeal.

Earlier, counsel to Sylva, Onyechi Ikpeazu, prayed to the justices to set aside the judgments of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal which had earlier dismissed their petition.

Ikpeazu asked the apex court to invalidate the declaration of Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a winner of the poll and declare Sylva as the lawful winner of the election.

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But Chris Uche, who appeared for Diri, urged the court to dismiss the appeal brought against his client. Uche insisted that Sylva’s appeal was bad beyond redemption as no witness or documents supported his request being made at the court.

He maintained that the appeal was devoid of merit and should be dismissed in its entirety.

INEC, represented by Charles Edoshomwan, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), represented by Tayo Oyetibo, all supported Uche’s call for the dismissal of the appeal for want of merit.

The panel, thereafter, reserved judgment in the appeal till a date to be communicated to the parties.