The Court of Appeal has dismissed the petition filed by the Labour Party and its governorship candidate Udengmobofa Eradiri, challenging the emergence of Governor Douye Diri of the People’s Democratic Party, as governor of Bayelsa State in the November 2023 election.
The three-member appellate court panel determined that the tribunal acted correctly in rejecting the LP’s petition due to its lack of merit.
The court determined that Eradiri and his group had not produced sufficient evidence to support their claims in their petition that Governor Diri and his deputy were unqualified and had faked certificates.
The court also held that the tribunal was right when it held that the appellants petition was abandoned, having not been signed by either the petitioners or their counsel, as required by law.
The third respondent allegedly submitted fraudulent documents to INEC in order to form EC8, and the court observed that this is a pre-election matter that ought not to have been brought before the panel.
On the other hand, the panel granted each of the respondents in the appeal a cost of two hundred thousand Naira against the appellant.
