A Federal High Court in Yenagoa, yesterday, nullified the September 4, 2019 Bayelsa State governorship primary that produced David Lyon as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in tomorrow’s election. Our reporters in Yenagoa report that the decision had thrown stalwarts of the APC into confusion, reminiscent of what befell the party in some states during the last general elections when it was disqualified from participating.

But in a twist, the Court of Appeal in Abuja, yesterday, ordered a stay of execution of the judgement of the Abuja Federal High Court which disqualified the APC deputy governorship candidate in Bayelsa, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, over false information. The panel, chaired by Justice Stephen Adah, issued an interim order of stay of execution of the judgement of the Federal High Court of November 12, 2019, pending the determination of “the motion on notice for order of interlocutory injunction filed on 13 November, 2019.”

The appellate court also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “to maintain status quo ante bellum which existed on or before the 19th day of September 2019 when suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1101/2019, now on appeal to this court, was filed at the lower court pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction filed on 13th November, 2019.” The judge consequently adjourned hearing of the motion to Wednesday November 20.

The appeal was brought by Degi-Eremienyo’s lawyer, Damian Dodo (SAN). The Bayelsa judgement While delivering her judgement which sacked Lyon in a suit filed by Senator Heineken Lokpobiri who is also governorship aspirant of the APC, Justice Jane Inyang noted that the primary was conducted outside the rules of the party. Lokpobiri, a minister of state for Agriculture during the first tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari, had sued the party protesting the conduct of the governorship primary. He approached the court seeking a declaration that he was the “authentic candidate of the APC” and not Lyon.

Lyon, who was seen as new in Bayelsa politics but had the backing of the Minister of State for Petroleum and former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, had during the contentious primary scored 42,138 votes to defeat five other aspirants including Lokpobiri who scored 571 votes. Justice Inyang ruled that since the primary was conducted in violation of the party’s constitution and guidelines, none of the aspirants should stand as APC candidate in tomorrow’s election. She therefore restrained INEC from fielding Lyon as the party’s candidate.

Responding to the judgement, Lokpobiri’s lawyer, Fitzgerald Olorogun expressed shock on the grounds that the court’s declaration was not part of their prayers. “It’s strange,” he said. Lokpobiri had while pursuing his case in the court, nonetheless, urged the people of Bayelsa to vote for the APC despite his court case against Lyon and the party. But beyond Lokpobiri’s clamour to be declared winner of the primary election, the judge said the APC guideline provided that results should be declared by the chairman of the election committee of the party, saying in the case of Bayelsa, it should have been Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe and not Senator Emmanuel Ochega who served as the committee’s secretary. She noted that the APC also violated its own rules in the composition of the election panel when it constituted an 11 member committee rather than seven.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/48hrs-to-bayelsa-govship-high-court-sacks-apc-candidate-as-appeal-court-reinstates-deputy.html

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This is happening because we as Nigerians hav failed

agwom:
A Federal High Court in Yenagoa, yesterday, nullified the September 4, 2019 Bayelsa State governorship primary that produced David Lyon as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in tomorrow’s election. Our reporters in Yenagoa report that the decision had thrown stalwarts of the APC into confusion, reminiscent of what befell the party in some states during the last general elections when it was disqualified from participating

Season of Confusion in the polity ...

What's all this nonsense, APC must be on the ballot to permanently retire Silva from politics just like Wike retired Amaechi!

And if APC is not on the ballot tomorrow, I hope Heineken flees the country because APC go kill am