The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the appeal filed by Senator Heineken Lokpobiri challenging the declaration of David Lyon as the flag bearer of the APC in Bayelsa State.
In a unanimous judgment read by Justice Inyang Okoro, the five member panel held that section 285 subsections 9 of the 1999 constitution as amended does not admit any elongation of time, when it comes to pre-election matters.
The court said “Any party seeking redress must file within the 14 days period.”
TVC News reports that the appellant cause of action arose on 4th September when he was not declared the winner and not 7th September.
The court held that Lokpobiri’s appeal lacks merit and accordingly dismissed.
According to TVC News, Lokpobiri who is a former Minister of State for Agriculture had approached the court, asking it to declare him, and not Lyon the authentic candidate of the APC.
He told the court that the governorship primary conducted by the APC in Bayelsa State was not done in compliance with the guidelines and the constitution of the party, and therefore, concluded that the party had no candidate.
However, the Court of Appeal, in Port Harcourt, upturned the High Court’s decision last month, declaring that the APC had a candidate in the governorship election.
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