Bayelsa: INEC rejects APC’s request for fresh election as party says struggle continues
- INEC has replied the APC over call for fresh election in Bayelsa state
- Supreme Court had sacked the candidate of APC and former governor-elect of the state, David Lyon
- The party's national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, however, said that their stolen mandate would soon be reclaimed
Following the Supreme Court judgement, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ruled out the demand for a fresh governorship election in Bayelsa state by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PM News reports that the INEC’s director of voter education and publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, on Sunday, February 16, said the commission had concluded its work on the Bayelsa state governorship poll on Friday, February 14, when the certificate of return was issued to Douye Diri.
According to the report, one of the officials said the APC was asking for what is not possible, adding that the party should forget a fresh governorship election in Bayelsa state.
The APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, had in a letter dated February 14, and addressed to the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, called for a fresh election in Bayelsa state.
Oshiomhole said the swearing-in of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Douye Diri, as the state governor was unconstitutional as he did not meet the mandatory constitutional requirements.
The party said although the Supreme Court nullified its candidate, David Lyon’s victory, it stated that Diri also failed to meet the mandatory requirements to become governor.
Source: UGC
The Supreme Court had on Thursday, February 13, nullified the candidacy of Lyon and his running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, on the grounds that Degi-Eremienyo presented false information about his educational qualifications in his Form CF001 submitted to INEC as a candidate for the 2019 election.
Justice Ejembi Ekwo, who read the lead judgment, had said Degi-Eremienyo’s disqualification on the basis of submitting false information to INEC had infected the joint ticket with which he and Lyon contested the election and emerged victoriously.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that following the judgment of the Supreme Court’s on Thursday, February 13, the PDP accused the APC of mobilising its supporters to vandalize its secretariat in Bayelsa state.
It was reported that the nation’s opposition party on Saturday, February 15, released a video on its official Twitter page alleging that supporters of the APC reportedly vandalised the secretariat following an order from its national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
In another report, Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Nigeria (AMEN) denied an alleged prophecy about Governor Diri.
Also, it was reported that hours after Senator Duoye Diri received his certificate of return from INEC, the electoral body explained why it obeyed the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The commission on Friday, February 14, paved the way for Diri to be sworn in as the new governor of Bayelsa state after a Supreme Court judgment sacked David Lyon, of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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Bayelsa: INEC presents PDP’s Douye Diri certificate of return | - on Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng
