Bayelsa guber: Gov Diri, PDP close defence, fixes April 22 for adoption

By Vivian Okejeme Abuja

The Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, on Thursday, fixed April 22 for parties to adopt their final briefs of argument in the petition the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, filed to challenge the outcome of the governorship poll that held in the state on November 11, 2023.
The Justice Adekunle Adeleye-led three-member tribunal okayed the matter for adoption of addresses, after Governor Douye Diri, his deputy, Lawrence Awhrujakpo and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who were cited as respondents in the matter, closed their defence.
Each of the respondents produced a witness that testified before the tribunal, even as they tendered several electoral documents in evidence.
Governor Diri’s witness, Mr. Gesiye Isowo, identified himself as the Secretary of thw PDP in Bayelsa State.
Among exhibits he tendered before the tribunal included his his party membership card and his Permanent Voters Card.
Governor Diri, through the witness, also tendered in evidence, the official result of the election as well as the final declaration of the result, which were contained in INEC’s forms EC8D and EC8E.
The governor equally tendered INEC’s forms EC8B and EC8C.
While being cross examined by counsel to the petitioners, Mr. Sylvester Elema, SAN, the witness told the tribunal that he registered and voted at Unit 9, Ward 10 in Kolokuma/Okpokuma LGA.
“There was restriction of movement on the day of the election. I did not go to Nembe, Ogbia and Southern Ijaw because of the restriction, but I had agents in all the polling units. I was in constant touch with my agents in all the LGAs,” he stated.
Asked if it was true that the National and State Assembly elections held in the state in February and March 2023, the witness said he was in court only with respect to the governorship election.
“I am not INEC. If you ask about my party’s primary, then I should know,” he added.
The petitioners had contended that voters registers that were tendered in evidence and marked as Exhibit R1- R19 by the tribunal, which was generated on January 25, 2023, were only used for the National Assembly election and not governorship poll.
However, in his evidence, the witness insisted that the registers were used for the governorship poll.
He identified his name as No. 179 in the voters register that was used at his polling unit.
The petitioners opposed the tendering and admissibility of the register which they said was not furnished to them before hand as directed by the tribunal.
On their part, the respondents urged the tribunal to disregard the objection and admit the exhibit as relevant to the case, saying it would help to confirm if the witness actually voted during the election or not.
Continuing his testimony under cross examination, the witness, told the tribunal that some of the voters register were not ticked because election did not hold in those areas.
Asked if he knew one Commissioner of Police named Tolani Alausa, the witness, said: “My lord, he was a very notorious police commissioner in Bayelsa State.”
The witness insisted that INEC discharged its function creditably by conducting the election in compliance with provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Electoral Act 2022, adding however that there was wilful resistance of the use of BVAS by the APC and its agents.