JUST IN: Supreme Court Confirms Douye Diri as Bayelsa Governor

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has upheld the election of Senator Douye Diri as the governor of Bayelsa State. The ruling, delivered on Friday, dismissed the appeal filed by Timipre Sylva, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and his party.

The lead judgment, delivered by Justice Garba Lawal, concluded that Sylva’s appeal lacked merit and constituted a gross abuse of the judicial process. The Supreme Court’s decision reaffirmed earlier rulings by the Court of Appeal and the Bayelsa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

Previously, on July 18, the Court of Appeal in Abuja had unanimously upheld the Tribunal’s decision, which validated Governor Diri’s re-election on November 11, 2023. The appellate court, led by a three-member panel, dismissed the APC’s appeal, asserting that the Tribunal had rightly ruled against Sylva and his party.

The Election Petition Tribunal, presided over by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, had earlier dismissed the APC’s petition on May 27, citing a lack of credible evidence to support the allegations made against Governor Diri’s re-election.

This Supreme Court ruling solidifies Douye Diri’s position as the legitimate governor of Bayelsa State, bringing an end to the legal challenges against his electoral victory.