Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed Senators Douye Diri and Lawrence Ewhruojakpo as the Governor and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State after dismissing the six appeals challenging their victory.
The unanimous judgment of the court as delivered by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta followed the withdrawal of the multiple appeals by the appellants.
The dismissed appeals were filed by the Alliance for Democracy, Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party and Labour Movement.
In like manner, the appeal by Accord Party against Diri and Ewhrudjakpo was also dismissed.
Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party came second in the last year’s governorship election in the State. He was later declared the elected governor of the State in a subsequent Supreme Court judgment disqualifying the All Progressives Congress’s candidate David Lyon who earlier emerged the winner of the poll.
Diri’s victory has been challenged a number of times but the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja had at different times also affirmed him as the duly elected governor of the State.