Diri welcomes tribunal victory, says it will spur him to do more

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, has said that his victory at the tribunal will propel him to serve the state better in his second term.

The Bayelsa state governorship election tribunal sitting in Abuja yesterday had affirmed the re-election of Governor Diri in the November 11, 2023, election in the state and dismissed the petition filed by Chief Timipre Sylva and the All Progressives Congress, (APC) on grounds of lacking merit.

Diri said the petition was a “needless distraction.”

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, the governor, who dedicated the victory to God, noted that by the judgment, the judiciary has again proven that it remains the last hope for the common man.

“Once again, l use this opportunity to thank my people of Bayelsa State who graciously and freely gave me this mandate. lt is actually not my victory, but it is for the people of Bayelsa.

“As l always pledge, our administration is people-focused and people-oriented. So this will again give us a better latitude to continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people,” he said.

While describing the judgment as very sound and one of the best that had been delivered in such election petition matters, he said there was still hope for the country.

According to him, “matters like these are mere distractions in delivering the dividends of democracy to the people, particularly against the backdrop that we had an election that was adjudged to be one of the freest and the fairest. And yet we have been distracted over this period. I want to let Bayelsa people of Bayelsa know that we are still for you and will continue to work for you and walk with you until the final day of our administration.