Alleged Forgery: Supreme Court Set to Determine Fate of Bayelsa Deputy Governor-elect

Alleged Forgery: Supreme Court Set to Determine Fate of Bayelsa Deputy Governor-elect

By Alex Enumah

The Supreme Court on Thursday stood down for judgment an appeal seeking the disqualification of Bayelsa State Deputy Governor-elect, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, as candidate in the November 16, governorship election in the state.

A five man panel of the apex court announced that judgment is stood down in the appeal filed by two chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), shortly after counsel to parties in the appeal adopted and argued their brief of argument in the case.

The PDP and its governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, and Lawrence Ewhruojakpo had approached the apex court to set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal which nullified the judgment of a Federal High Court that nullified the candidacy of Degi-Eremienyo.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had last year declared that Degi-Eremienyo, Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), in the November 16, Governorship Election in Bayelsa State, was qualified to contest the election.

A three man panel of the Court of Appeal in the judgment held that Degi-Eremienyo, met the necessary academic qualification for contesting the election.

The panel presided over by Justice Stephen Adah, consequently set aside the judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja, which had earlier disqualified the APC Deputy Governor Elect.

Justice Inyang Ekwo had in a judgment delivered on November 12, disqualified the APC Governor Elect on grounds of giving false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

However after listening to the submissions of lawyers for and against the appeal, Presiding Justice of the five man panel, Justice Mary Peter-Odili snnounced that the matter will be stood down for a while.

Details later…

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