Politics

Bayelsa Governorship: Tribunal Reserves Judgment on Sylva, Diri

Published

10 months ago

April 23, 2024

The Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, on Monday, reserved its judgment in the petition filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylvia, challenging the re-election of Douye Diri as Governor of Bayelsa State.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Adekunle Adeleye, made the announcement shortly after parties adopted and argued their written addresses in the suit.

He assured the parties that the panel’s verdict would be delivered within the 180 days statutorily allowed by law, adding that the judgment date would be communicated as soon as it is fixed.

At Monday’s proceedings, the petitioners prayed the tribunal to annul the declaration of Diri as the winner of the November 11, 2023 election.

Their lead counsel, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), told the tribunal that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) embarked on wrongful exclusion of results before arriving at the declaration of Diri as winner.

Ikpeazu further stated that the electoral body did not debunk the allegation of wrongful exclusion of results by not calling the state election result collation officer to testify.

He therefore urged the tribunal to objectively decide the petition on the strength of the evidence adduced by the petitioners especially because INEC did not call a single witness to challenge all the allegations.

However, Diri’s counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), informed the tribunal that the petition by Sylva died on arrival because it is grossly deficient in quantity and quality of evidence.

He said that the petition was baseless, frivolous and vexatious and grossly lacking in merit because the two petitioners did not discharge the burden placed on them by law.

Among others, Uche said that Sylva predicated his petition on alleged refusal of INEC to collate results in three local governments areas — Southern Ijaw, Nembe and Ogbia — but failed to call a single collation officer to back up its claim.

Besides, Uche said that Sylva did not tender the voter register, BVAS machines and form EC8A used for the purported election in the three local governments to establish his allegations.

The senior lawyer also said that the petitioner himself, despite having a witness statement on oath, refused to give evidence before the tribunal to substantiate his allegations.

Uche pleaded with the tribunal to discountenance the evidence of a former police commissioner in the state on the ground that the police officer admitted before the tribunal that he had issues with Diri when the Prado Jeep earlier given to him was withdrawn.

Uche also urged the tribunal not to invoke the spirit of the judgment that brought Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, into office, adding that INEC has established beyond doubt that election did not hold in the three local governments due to resistance by some hoodlums to the use of BVAS machines.

Similarly, INEC, represented by Charles Edosomwan (SAN), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), represented by Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), canvassed for the dismissal of the petition on the ground that the petitioners failed and neglected to discharge the burden of establishing their allegations against the election beyond reasonable doubt as required by law.

INEC had declared Diri of the PDP winner of the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa State, having won majority of the votes cast at the election.

According to the Returning Officer, Prof. Faruq Kuta, the PDP and Diri polled 175,196 votes to defeat his closest rival, Timipre Sylva of the APC, who scored 110,108 votes.

Dissatisfied, Sylva and APC had approached the tribunal to challenge the declaration of Diri as winner of the poll.

The petitioners are asking the tribunal to hold that contrary to the position of the electoral umpire, election held in some polling units and winners declared at the said units, adding that it was wrong of INEC to disregard the results at the ward and local government level.

It is their claim that if the said cancelled results were restored by the court, they would emerge winner of the November election.

But the respondents, especially INEC, which conducted the election, submitted that election in three local governments of Southern Ijaw, Ogbia and Nembe did not hold due to incidents of alleged diversions of materials and disruption of the electoral process over alleged bypass of the BVAS machine.

They had tendered the Form EC40G to confirm that there were no elections in the said polling units.

In addition, the respondents brought Certified True Copies (CTCs) of results from INEC to prove that the results brought before the court as evidence that election held at the polling units were forged by the petitioners.

Politics

Ex-Delta Reps member Ossai dumps PDP for APC

Published

3 days ago

February 23, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

A former member of the House of Representatives from Delta State, Hon. Dr. Ossai Nicholas Ossai, has dumped the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ossai, who represented the Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency of Delta State for three consecutive terms from 2011 to 2023, cited the need to align with a party he believes is better positioned to serve his constituents, Delta State, and Nigeria as a whole.

During his tenure in the National Assembly, Ossai held key leadership positions, including Chairman of the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges in the 8th Assembly and Chairman of the House Committee on Treaties, Protocols, and Agreements in the 9th Assembly.

However, his political career faced a major setback when he was blocked from securing a return ticket in the 2022 PDP primary elections—an outcome he attributes to internal party politics allegedly driven by former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and other influential stakeholders.

In his resignation statement, Ossai expressed deep dissatisfaction with the direction of the PDP, describing it as “rudderless, cantankerous, envious, and lacking vision.”

He stated: “After deep reflection and wide consultations with my family, political leaders, supporters, and associates, I have decided to resign from the PDP and heed the patriotic call to join the largest progressive family in Africa, the APC.”

Ossai emphasised that his move was driven by a commitment to good governance and national development.

Politics

Wike excited as Orbih is re-elected PDP S/South Chairman

Published

3 days ago

February 22, 2025

Naijablitznews

The re-elected Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South-South Zonal Vice Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, has described the ongoing crisis within the party as self-inflicted.

He noted that the party’s constitution had been disregarded in favour of personal interests by a few members.

Speaking at the South-South Zonal Congress of the PDP in Calabar on Saturday, Orbih urged party faithful to make the necessary sacrifices to revive and strengthen the party.

He called for the election of officers who would uphold the party’s constitution in the zone, emphasising that such individuals must also have the fear of God.

Orbih said: “We must follow the party’s guidelines if we are to revive it. These guidelines are subject to the constitution.

“The power to elect new officers of the party is not subject to anything but the constitution.

“We must start rebuilding the party from here. The party cannot dictate who an individual should associate with, nor determine their friends or enemies.”

Similarly, Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, noted that, by all indications, the party remained strong in the zone.

He commended Orbih and his re-elected executive members for maintaining the party’s stability in spite of its challenges.

He, however, urged the party’s leadership to speak truth to power if it truly sought to regain its lost glory.

Wike added that the zonal congress held in Calabar would be the last to elect the Zonal Working Committee.

“Presently, we have leaders who can’t speak the truth and are full of betrayal.

“No part of the constitution says that congress should not be held when some persons are indisposed. No any other congress will hold after this.

“This is our job. This is our terrain. We are not new to this. The constitution didn’t say national working commitee shall conduct the zonal congress.

“This is the final congress in the South South. We don’t need quantity but quality,” he said.

In his address, former Governor of Cross River, Mr Donald Duke, urged PDP members in the zone to remain focused and fully committed to the party.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Orbih and all the immediate past zonal officers, who were elected four years ago in Port Harcourt, were re-elected during the congress in Calabar.

They were all returned unopposed, but an election was conducted to reaffirm their positions.

The zonal executive consists of 10 members, in addition to six ex-officio members.

The congress was attended by former governors, former and serving members of the National Assembly, among others.

GWG.ng however, reports that the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, said the outcome of the Calabar purported congress was null and void.

Ologunagba said that the party NWC’s attention was drawn to a reported social gathering in Calabar, Cross River where the organisers falsely claimed same to be the PDP South South zonal congress .

He recalled that the NWC at its meeting on Thursday, in exercise of its powers under Section 29 (2)(b), pursuant to Section 31 (2) (c) and (j) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) postponed the conduct of the South South zonal congress from the earlier scheduled date of Feb. 22.

Ologunagba said that the postponement was to allow for further consultation on critical issues relating to the smooth conduct of the congress in the Zone.

He had earlier been tackled by Orbih who claimed that the NWC of which he is a member never met to give directives on the zonal congress.

Politics

THREAT! FG tells Gov Adeleke to stop LG poll

Published

4 days ago

February 21, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has cautioned Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, against proceeding with a fresh local government election, describing the move as unconstitutional and legally untenable.

Fagbemi, in a statement on Thursday, emphasised the legal implications of the recent Court of Appeal judgment delivered on February 10, 2025, which returned the initially sacked local government officials.

The appellate court overturned an earlier Federal High Court ruling that had nullified the election of local government officials under former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, declaring the suit incompetent and striking it out.

By implication, the ruling restored the previously removed elected officials to their offices.

The AGF while expressing concern over Adeleke’s insistence on conducting new local government elections on February 22, 2025, argued that the reinstated officials’ tenure remains valid until October 2025, rendering any attempt to replace them a direct violation of the Nigerian Constitution.

Fagbemi criticized the governor’s handling of the situation, urging him to uphold law and order rather than escalate the crisis.

Referencing a recent Supreme Court decision affirming local government autonomy, Fagbemi warned that any fresh election under the current circumstances would be invalid and urged the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to halt its plans.

“The constitutional order that existed before the dissolution must be restored immediately since the judgment upon which the governor acted has been declared a nullity,” Fagbemi stated, emphasizing that the Court of Appeal’s decision is superior and legally binding.

He called on Adeleke to respect the rule of law, stressing that political disagreements should not lead to unnecessary conflict.

The AGF also expressed his readiness to engage with the Osun State government in dialogue to ensure a peaceful resolution to the crisis.