#APC, #PDP shift battle to court – TheNigerialawyer

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) have shifted their battles for the soul of Bayelsa
State to the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court.

The Candidate of the APC, Chief David Lyon, won the
just-concluded governorship election in the state defeating his
counterpart of the PDP, Senator Douye Diri, with a wide margin.

But investigations at the weekend revealed that both parties
have legal hurdles to surmount before the February 14, 2020 hand
over date.

The APC, Lyon and the Deputy Governor-elect, Biobarakumo Degi,
were said to be wary of the three court cases challenging their
qualifications and the process that led to their emergence as the
candidates of the APC.

It was observed that few days to the election, a Federal High
Court sitting in Abuja and presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo
gave a judgment disqualifying Degi following discrepancies in his
name.

The case was instituted by the candidate of the PDP, Senator
Douye Diri and his running mate Senator Lawrence Ewrujakpor.

But the APC immediately obtained a stay of execution of the
judgment and immediately filed an appeal at the Court of
Appeal.

It was, however, gathered that the party and its national and
state leaders were not sleeping over the matter as they had shifted
their attention at vacating the judgement of the lower court.

Investigations further revealed that Lyon and the party have
shifted their focus to the Federal High Court Judgement that
disqualified Lyon two days to the governorship poll in a case
between the party and a frontline aspirant and a former Minister of
State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.

In a controversial judgement, the court presided over by Justice
Kate Inyang, held that the governorship primary conducted by the
APC in Bayelsa was not in compliance with the party’s
guidelines.

The court, which was said to have gone beyond the reliefs sought
by the plaintiff thereby acting like a Father Christmas, ruled that
both Lyon and Lokpobiri were not qualified to fly the flag of the
APC.

It was gathered that Lokpobiri, Lyon and the APC leadership were
set to begin legal fireworks at the Court of Appeal.

Besides the APC and Lyon were said to be paying attention to a
suit instituted by another aspirant, Preye Aganaba challenging the
emergence of Lyon.

Aganaba asked the court to nullify the primary poll that
produced Lyon alleging that the internal election fell short of the
guidelines of the party.

It was further observed that the PDP and its candidate, Douye
Diri, had its fair share of litigations with a frontline aspirant
and former Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission
(NDDC), Chief Timi Alaibe challenging the process that led to the
party primary.

It was gathered that the court would soon pick a date for
judgement having adjourned the case sine die.

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