The Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, chaired by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, has decided to withhold its judgment on the case brought forward by Timipre Sylvia, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the victory of Governor Douye Diri. The tribunal, which convened in Abuja, announced that the judgment would be delivered within the statutory 180-day period.
During the recent proceedings, both parties presented their final written arguments. Sylvia and the APC urged the tribunal to invalidate Diri’s victory, alleging that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wrongly excluded election results before declaring Diri as the winner. Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), representing the petitioners, emphasized INEC’s failure to refute the claim of wrongful exclusion, as the state’s election result collation officer was not summoned to testify.
In response, Chris Uche (SAN), counsel for Governor Diri, dismissed Sylvia’s petition as lacking substantial evidence. Uche argued that Sylvia failed to provide sufficient proof to support his allegations, notably regarding the alleged non-collation of results in three local government areas. He pointed out that Sylvia did not present essential documents such as the voter register, BVAS machines, and form EC8A for those areas. Additionally, Uche criticized Sylvia for not testifying before the tribunal to substantiate his claims.
Uche further urged the tribunal to disregard the testimony of a former police commissioner, citing personal conflicts with Governor Diri. He emphasized INEC’s confirmation that elections did not occur in the three local governments due to disruptions by unidentified individuals, underscoring the absence of evidence to support Sylvia’s allegations.
The tribunal has yet to announce the date for the delivery of its judgment, pending further deliberations and review of the evidence presented by both parties.