BY MARY KUYE
Supreme Court has nullified the election of David Lyon of the All Progressive Congress and his running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo as Bayelsa State governor-elect.
The removal of the Bayelsa State governor-elect and his deputy was a rude shock to the ruling APC as the duo were already preparing to be inaugurated into office.
At the apex court on Thursday in Abuja, a five-man panel led by Justice Mary Peter-Odili ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to the All Progressives Congress’ candidates.
Odili said that David Lyon and his deputy were not the right winners of the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the state.
Mrs Odili ordered INEC to issue fresh certificates to the candidates of the PDP who scored the next highest votes and with the required constitutional spread of votes in the results of the election.
During the judgement which Justice Ejembi Ekwo read, the Supreme Court disqualified the APC’s deputy governorship candidate, Degi-Eremienyo, as a candidate in the election.
Justice Odili upheld the November 12, 2019 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which had disqualified Degi-Eremienyo in the election for submitting forged certificates to INEC.
Since it was a joint ticket with Lyon, the apex court ruled that Degi-Eremienyo’s disqualification had infected the joint ticket with which he and the governorship candidate, Lyon, ran for and won.
