The Supreme Court has nullified David Lyon and his running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo’s win at the Bayelsa State gubernatorial election, just a day to their inauguration.
In a unanimous decision reached by a five-man panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mary Peter-Odili, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC was ordered to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to the All Progressives Congress’ candidates who had been declared winners of the election in November 2019.
The panel also ordered INEC to issue fresh certificates to the candidates with the next highest votes and the required constitutional spread of votes in the results of the election. This happens to be PDP’s Duoye Diri and Lawrence Ewhruojakpo.
Upholding the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which had disqualified Degi-Eremienyo in the election for submitting forged certificates to INEC on the 12th of November 2019, Justice Ejembi Ekwo, who read the lead judgment of the Supreme court today, made it known that Degi-Eremienyo’s disqualification has affected the joint tickets with which he and the governorship candidate David Lyon, contested and won.
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The panel further held that on the basis of that both candidates and their party, the APC ought to have abstained from participating in the election.
