2023 Bayelsa Guber Election: Tribunal dismisses NRM petition

The Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the petition filed by the candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) in the November 11 gubernatorial poll, Mr. Micah Akeems against Governor Douye Diri of the PDP for lacking in merit.

NRM polled 415 votes in the election won by the incumbent Governor, Senator Diri of the PDP who polled 175,196 votes as declared by INEC.

The Petitioner, Mr. Akeems had approached the tribunal on the ground that the second and third Respondents being Gov. Diri and his running mate, the Deputy Governor, Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, did not score majority of lawful votes cast in the election.

The Tribunal dismissed all the three grounds raised by the petitioner involving the conduct of the election, nomination and eligibility of the Deputy Governor, Senator Ewhrudjakpo.

The court ruled that the petitioner failed to prove the allegation of substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act, in the election.

Also, the Tribunal said the petitioner had no locus to challenge the eligibility of candidate of another political party as issues of nomination had since been resolved to be the internal affairs of political parties.

The court also said that the issue of the NYSC certificate of the Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, had previously been resolved and remains a pre-election matter and ought not to be brought before the tribunal.