The Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, upheld the election of Governor Douye Diri on Monday, May 27.
A three-man panel led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye dismissed the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Timipre Sylva, citing a lack of merit.
In a unanimous decision, the tribunal concluded that the petitioners failed to provide credible evidence to support their allegations against the Bayelsa poll’s outcome.
The panel struck out additional evidence and statements on oath from some of the petitioners’ witnesses, deeming them incompetent.
The tribunal noted that the petitioners did not submit their additional proof of evidence within the 21 days required by law. It held that Sylva and the APC’s decision to file these documents long after submitting the initial petition amounted to an improper attempt to amend their case.
