Court dismisses Sylva’s suit challenging
Dickson’s election
A Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, yesterday, dismissed a case by the former governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, challenging the election of the incumbent governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson.
Yenagoa—A Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, yesterday, dismissed a case by the former governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, challenging the election of the incumbent governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson.
Sylva had through his counsel, Mr. Robert Clarke, SAN, filed a fresh suit, seeking to be declared the valid candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the February 2012 governorship election won by Dickson.
The trial judge, Justice Lambo Akanbi in his ruling, dismissed the suit. The court held that the suit by Sylva was an abuse of court process.
Meanwhile, Governor Dickson has described the verdict of the court as a welcome development.
Commending the judgment, Dickson in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said it had further confirmed his earlier position that the country’s judiciary remains the last hope of the common man, adding that Sylva’s suit was aimed at derailing the developmental train of his administration.
The court held that the suit amounted to abuse of judicial process for Sylva and his lawyers to bring such matter that had been rested by the wise Justices of the apex court.
“It is an abuse of the court process for the plaintiff (Sylva) to approach this court on a matter already decided by the Supreme Court. I shall not encourage any journey in futility,” Justice Akande held.
Akanbi dismissed the argument of Sylva that since he won the January 2011 primary organised by PDP, the party had no right to organise another primaries that produced Dickson as its candidate in November 2011.
He had argued that the matter had outlived its usefulness as it had extended beyond the timeframe allowed by the Electoral Act.
Dickson commended the people of the state for their unflinching support for his administration, said he would remain focused and warned people against playing politics with the development of the state.
“The victory is for the country’s thriving democracy and the people of the state. No legal battle instituted or about to be instituted can distract us from delivering the dividends of democracy to our people.
“On judicial officers are men and women of honour. I have so much respect for them. Judiciary as an arm of government is one of the pillars that uphold the nation’s democratic rule and the officers are living up to their oaths of office,” he said.
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