The Supreme Court has declared the election of Bayelsa State Governor-elect, David Lyon and his running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo illegal.
A five-man panel of the court, led by Justice Mary Peter-Odili, held in a judgment on Thursday that Degi-Ermienyo was not qualified to have contested the election with Lyon.
The Supreme Court upheld the November 12, 2019 judgment by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja which had disqualified Degi-Eremienyo in the election for submitting forged certificates with multiple names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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Justice Ejembi Ekwo, who read the lead judgment, held that in view of the discrepancies in the names certificates submitted by Degi-Eremienyo to INEC, he was not qualified for the election.
Justice Ekwo proceeded to disqualify the APC deputy governorship candidate as a candidate in the election.
Justice Ekwo held that Degi-Eremienyo’s disqualification had infected the joint ticket with which he and the governorship candidate, Lyon, ran for and won the November 16, 2019 election.
He then ordered INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to the All Progressives Congress’ candidates as the winners of the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the state.
The apex court ordered INEC to issue fresh certificates to the candidates of the party with the next highest votes and with the required constitutional spread of votes in the results of the election, which are the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidates. (The Nation)
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