Bayelsa Guber : Former Minister Drags APC to Court

A former Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri has dragged the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. David Lyon, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Federal High Court in Bayelsa over the outcome of the party’s gubernatorial primaries.

Lokpobiri who contested the primaries told the court that he won the governorship primary having scored a total of 111,439 votes. He said Aganaba Stephen came second with 5,426 votes, Ebitimi Amgbare third with 683 while Lyon came distant fifth with 325 votes.

The former Minister wants the court to declare that the submission by APC to INEC of the name of the 2nd Defendant, to contest the election on the platform of the APC to the office of Governor in the Bayelsa State governorship election slated for November 16, 2019, or any other date is unconstitutional, illegal, ultra vires, oppressive, undemocratic, arbitrary, null and void and of no effect.

“A declaration that the APC does not possess the vires, power or authority to forward to INEC any other name (particularly, that of the 2nd Defendant) than the name of the Plaintiff who secured the highest number of votes in the primary election organized by APC and supervised by INEC on 4th September, 2019 to contest on the platform of the party.

“An order directing or compelling the 3rd Defendant to accept the Plaintiff forthwith as the governorship candidate of the 1st Defendant for the Governorship election in Bayelsa State slated for November 16, 2019, or any other date.

“An order setting aside the nomination and/or submission by the 1st Defendant to the 3rd Defendant of the name of the 2nd Defendant as the candidate to represent the 1st Defendant in the Bayelsa State Governorship Election” the suit sought.

Lokpobiri said the defendants have been evading service of court summons.

However, Justice Jane Iyang has ordered substituted service on all the defendants in the suit.

Consequently, the court has fixed October 14, for the parties to appear in court for the hearing of the matter before the November 16, election date.