Bayelsa Governor, Douye Diri and his Kogi counterpart, Usman Ododo this Monday had their elections reaffirmed as the two Election Petition Tribunals handling their matters dismissed petitions filed against them by their defeated opponents.
On its own, the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in a unanimous judgment by the three-man panel led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye dismissed the petition brought by All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Timipre Sylva.
The tribunal held that the petitioners failed to adduce any credible evidence to substantiate any of the allegations they raised against the outcome of the Bayelsa state governorship poll and struck it out as incompetent.
While stating that the law expressly provided that an election petition must be filed not later than 21 days after the result of an election was declared, the tribunal held that the decision of Sylva and his party to file their additional proof of evidence and statement on oath of witnesses, long after they had filed the petition, was tantamount to a surreptitious attempt to amend the case of the petitioners.
More so, the tribunal dismissed the allegation that the deputy governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, tendered forged University Degree Certificate and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Exemption Certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission as it was a pre-election matter that ought to be litigated before the Federal High Court.
It also held that the issue of Ewhrudjakpo’s educational qualification was previously determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.
For the confluence state, the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, on Monday, also dismissed the petition filed by the SDP Candidate, Murtala Ajaka challenging the election of UsmanOdodo as the Governor of Kogi State.
The three – man – panel headed by Justice Ado Birinin – Kudu in its judgment declared that the the SDP and Ajaka did not substantiate their claims against the respondents.
