Diri Vs Sylva: Supreme Court Delivers Judgement On Bayelsa Governorship Election

The Supreme Court on Friday, August 23, confirmed the election of Douye Diri as the Governor of Bayelsa State.

In a ruling today, the highest court dismissed the appeal filed by Timipre Sylva, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Garba Lawal, who authored the lead judgment, stated that the appeal from Sylva and the APC was not only devoid of merit but also represented a significant misuse of the judicial process.

The apex court’s unanimous ruling upheld the prior decisions made by both the Court of Appeal and the Election Petition Tribunal.

On July 18, 2024, the Court of Appeal in Abuja unanimously supported the Bayelsa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal ruling, which had confirmed Diri’s reelection on November 11, 2023.

A three-member appellate court panel had previously dismissed the appeal lodged by Timipre Sylva and the APC, which sought to overturn the Tribunal’s decision.

Naija News reports that the tribunal, presided over by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, dismissed the petition submitted by the APC and its candidate challenging Governor Diri’s reelection on May 27, 2024, citing a lack of merit.

The tribunal determined that neither Sylva nor the APC provided any credible evidence to support the claims made against the results of the governorship election.