Bayelsa State at it again, as the political battle between Ex-Governor Timipre Sylva and Governor Seriake Dickson comes to a conclusion as the electoral tribunal confirms Dickson’s victory. The ex-governor after losing the election, when it was finally concluded after several inconclusive elections in a very small state, after all the manipulations and military intimidations from the powers that be could not overpower the wishes of the masses who put their lives on the line to safeguard our hard earned democracy.
According the electoral tribunal composed of three members,
and led by Justice Kazeem Alogba, it was held that the APC governorship candidate
could not prove their case with reliable proof to buttress their arguments. This
was because, all the criminal accusations levelled against the outcome of the
elections were not able to prove beyond reasonable doubt.
According to the APC candidate, the election was full of
malpractices, intimidation of voters, hijacking of electoral materials,
no-voting and non-collation of results in substantial parts of Sagbama,
Yenogoa, Nembe, Ogbia,and Ekeremor Local Government Areas.
Furthermore, the petitioner opposed the INEC’s decision and
action for the postponement of the scheduled election in Southern Ijaw Local
Government Area which was billed to be held in December 6 2015 to January 9
2016, arguing that the REC lacked such unilateral power
Nevertheless, the electoral tribunal in its wisdom, while
passing judgment on the case held that the INEC was right and had the power to
have cancelled the supplementary election said to have held on December 6,
2015.
The tribunal while debunking the APC’s petition maintained
that the decision to shift the date to January was not unilaterally taken by
the REC, but was a decision taken by INEC and “merely announced by the REC”.
It also confirmed that it was very clear that the earlier
date the election was billed to hold was flawed by huge violence, malpractices
and irregularities.
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