The Supreme Court of Nigeria has confirmed Senator Duoye Diri’s re-election as the Governor of Bayelsa State, dismissing the appeal brought forward by Timipre Sylva, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, from the November 11, 2023, off-cycle election.
A five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Lawal Garba, delivered the ruling on Friday, affirming the Court of Appeal’s July 15 decision. The Appeal Court had previously dismissed Sylva’s appeal, stating it was an abuse of the judicial process due to the filing of two notices of appeal.
“The APC Governorship candidate has only one right to appeal the judgment of the Tribunal,” the Apex Court panel declared, referencing the 1999 Constitution. The Court criticized Sylva for filing multiple appeals, a move that was deemed inappropriate.
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court dismissed Sylva’s appeal, ruling that it lacked merit.
Earlier, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced that Governor Duoye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured a total of 175,196 votes, defeating his closest competitor, Timipre Sylva of the APC, who garnered 110,108 votes.
