By Our Reporter
The Supreme Court on Friday, August 23, dismissed the appeal by the National Rescue Movement (NRM) and its candidate in the last governorship election in Bayelsa State, Micah Akeems.
A five-member panel of the court held that the appeal was without merit because the case was based on a pre-election issue of alleged supply of false information.
The court affirmed the earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal that the sole issue on which Governor Duoye Diri’s reelection was challenged by the appellants was a pre-election issue on which the election tribunal has no jurisdiction.
The NRM and Akeems had claimed that the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo submitted a forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in his form 001 and EC9.
Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba delivered the lead judgment.