Bayelsa Poll: Supreme Court reserves judgment in Sylva’s appeal

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

The five-member justices, 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 Mr Sylva, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, prayed the justices to set aside the judgments of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal which had dismissed their petition.

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

But Chris Uche, SAN, who appeared for Mr Diri, urged the court to dismiss the appeal brought against his client.

Mr Uche insisted that Mr Sylva’s appeal was terribly bad and beyond redemption as no witness or documents supported his request to the court.

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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, represented by Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, all supported Mr Uche’s call for the dismissal of the appeal, for want of merit.

The panel, thereafter, reserved judgment in the appeal.

(NAN)