Lyon, APC didn’t seek verdict review, says Olanipekun
- David Lyon's lawyer recently spoke about the review of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the APC's application
- Wole Olanipekun explained that neither the governorship candidate or the ruling party asked for a review of the verdict
- Olanipekun along with Femi Falana believe the court made a mistake
Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the counsel to David Lyon, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2019 Bayelsa state election has said that the sacked governor-elect did not ask the Supreme Court for a review of the verdict.
Olanipekun said APC’s prayer was for the Supreme Court to correct its error in the judgment, which according to him was permissible in law.
Meanwhile, human rights activist-lawyer Femi Falana, on his part added that the application was misunderstood by many Nigerians. However, both lawyers insisted that the Supreme Court made an error in the verdict, which should have been corrected.
Source: UGC
The duo disclosed this while speaking in Lagos at the Second Pa Tunji Gomez Memorial Lecture with the theme: ‘Tribunalisation’ of democracy in Nigeria.
The lecture was delivered by Falana while Olanipekun chaired the event. It was put together by Egbe Amofin Ni Eko.
Falana, in his lecture, is of the opinion that all election petitions should be handled by retired judges and that election petitions should be proved on the balance of probability rather than proof beyond doubts, and that prosecution of electoral offenders should be taken more seriously.
Both Falana and Olanipekun stated that the judgment of the Federal High Court which the Supreme Court relied on, only disqualified the deputy governor-elect and not Lyon himself.
Olanipekun believes that “there is no finality in the Supreme Court”. He said: “If a court has made a mistake, should it remain? If a mistake has been made, and we say it should remain, I think it’s not good for the polity. It’s not good for the system. That is my take.”
Falana on his part said: “The challenge will be an attempt to explain what took place in the Supreme Court because there is a gross misunderstanding on the part of lawyers who have not read the applications. Chief Olanipekun and Chief Babalola did not approach the Supreme Court for a review of its judgment."
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Legit.ng previously reported that Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) and Olanipekun formally protested the N60 million fine imposed on them by the Supreme Court over their bid for Bayelsa governorship judgment review.
Two protest letters were addressed to the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Olanipekun in a letter dated March 10, and Babalola dated March 11, 2020, addressed to the NBA President, Paul Usoro, SAN, insisted that they did no wrong by asking the court to take a second look at its earlier judgment.
In a related development, there is pressure on the immediate past governor of Bayelsa state, Seriake Dickson, to contest for the vacant Bayelsa West senatorial district seat.
According to the report, political and opinion leaders in the area are pushing for the immediate past governor to represent them in the upper chambers of the National Assembly.
Bayelsa: INEC presents PDP’s Douye Diri certificate of return | Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng
