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-man panel of the appellate court held that the tribunal was right in dismissing the LP’s petition for lacking in merit.
The court held that Eradiri and his party failed to prove allegations of non qualification and certificate forgery against Governor Diri and his deputy, as contained in their petition.
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 court noted that the issue of attachment of alleged forged documents to form EC8 submitted to INEC by the 3rd respondent is a pre election matter which should not have been brought to the tribunal.
The panel, however, awarded the cost of two hundred thousand Naira against the appellant in favour of each of the respondents in the appeal.
