The Supreme Court has affirmed Governor-elect David Lyon as the authentic candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 16 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State.
Former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Heineken Lokpobiri had approached the apex court to declare him the winner of the September 4, 2019, gubernatorial primary election of APC.
Justice Mary Peter-Odili, the wife of former Rivers State Governor Peter Odili, led the five-man panel which unanimously dismissed Lokpobiri’s suit.
The ex-minister had prayed the court to overturn the judgement of the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal delivered on January 11, 2020.
The appellate court had ruled that Lokpobiri’s suit challenging Lyon’s victory in the primary election was filed out of time at the Federal High Court, Yenogoa. The Court of Appeal held that Lokpobiri’s appeal should have been filed within the 14 days allowed by law.
Justice Inyang Okoro, who delivered the lead judgement, affirmed the appellate court’s ruling.
He held that Section 285(9) of the 1999 constitution as amended does not admit any elongation of time when it comes to pre-election matters.
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