By Ameh Ejekwonyilo
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered parties in an appeal filed by Mr. Timi Alaibe in which he is challenging the election of Senator Duoye Diri as the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the February governorship election in Bayelsa State.
The five-member panel presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed asked the appellant and respondents to regularise their processes having withdrawn two applications pending before the court.
It would be recalled that shortly before the PDP primary election, Alaibe had dragged the party to Federal High Court, Port-Harcourt disagreeing with the election of 3-man delegates. Shortly after the court declined jurisdiction, he withdrew the case and participated, losing out to Diri.
After losing out in the primaries, Alaibe proceeded to the Federal High Court, Owerri, praying the court to nullify the primary election which Diri won.
Alaibe moved to the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri. In May, 2020 the Appeal court dismissed his appeal that fresh PDP governorship primary election be conducted.
Dissatisfied with the decision of the Appeal Court, Alaibe approached the apex court where he’s praying the court to declare him the duly elected Governor of Bayelsa State.
The matter was, however, stalled as the court asked Alaibe’s lawyer, S.T. Ologunorisa, to regularize his processes, having withdrawn two applications which were not opposed by the lawyer to the defendant.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, counsel to the PDP and Governor Diri, Emmanuel Enoedem and Chief Chris Uche (SAN), said they were not in opposition to the application by the appellant to regularise his processes.
