Bayelsa guber: PDP withdraws petition against INEC, APC

Following the ruling of the Supreme Court that disqualified that governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. David Lyon over the discrepancies in the name of his running mate,  Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo and affirmed its candidate, Sen. Douye Diri, as the duly elected governor of Bayelsa State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has withdrawn its petition against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC before the Bayelsa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

The PDP had challenged the emergence of Mr. David Lyon of the APC as the duly elected governor in the November 2019 governorship election before the February 13 Supreme Court’s verdict.

At the resumed sitting, counsel to the petitioner, John Okoriko informed the three-man panel headed by Justice Muhammad Sirajo that he had an application before the tribunal.

Okoriko further said that the application dated and filed on February 18 was premised on six grounds and supported by a 14- paragraphs affidavit.

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In the application, the counsel prayed for an order granting the petitioner a leave to withdraw the petition against the respondents in view of the Supreme Court’s judgment of February 13 which declared the petitioner and its candidate Sen. Douye Diri as the winner of the Nov.16 governorship election.

The application also urged the tribunal to deem the application as properly filed and adopt same for the interest of peace and justice for Bayelsa.

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The application in addition prayed the tribunal to make additional orders as deem fit in the circumstance.

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Sirajo in his response said the petitioner could not seek to withdraw its application in the interest of peace and justice, but on the ground that the petition was incompetent based on the present turn of event.

Ibrahim Bawa, counsel to INEC said he had no objection to the application, he however pointed out some observations.

He said one of the observations was the petitioner’s counsel’s failure to comply with Rule 20, paragraph 29 (4) of the election rules which stated that there must be a signed affidavit by the petitioner himself attached to the application.