Bayelsa Guber Poll : Alaibe Drags PDP to Court

A former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),Timi Alaibe has dragged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before a Federal High Court sitting in Yenogoa,the Bayelsa state capital over the conduct of the recent gubernatorial primary election in the state.

In an application filed on September 13, 2019 marked FHC/YNG/CS/99/2019, Alaibe asked the court to cancel the primary election that produced Senator Douye Diri as the winner on the grounds of procedural flaws. The suit according to the petitioner was pursuant to Order 3(9) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019, seeks answers to questions bordering on obvious non-adherence to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2010, the Peoples Democratic Party Constitution and Election Guidelines, by the State Chapter of the party in the conduct of the Ward Congresses, inclusion of local government council officials in the delegates list and the procedure for inclusion of three ad-hoc delegates.

Alaibe asked the court to examine the entire processes that resulted in the primaries and rule in his favour in the light of violations committed in a desperate move to impose a pre-determined hand-picked candidate on the people out of 21 aspirants.

Also listed as defendants is Doubra Kumokou, for himself and on behalf of the Three Ad-Hoc Delegates allowed to be delegates at the elective State Congress.

The former NDDC boss wants the court to determine whether the pre-election actions and inactions of the defendants satisfied conditions specified in relevant sections of Nigeria’s Constitution, the Electoral Acts and certain sections of the PDP constitution is Alaibe’s prayers that the entire processes be declared unconstitutional and the declaration of Senator Diri as the winner be declared invalid having failed to comply with relevant sections of the laws governing such processes.