BAYELSA: No Fresh Election Until Appeal Is Exhausted – Former NBA Chairman

LAGOS- Following the sack of Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State by th election tribunal sitting in Abuja, and the order for a fresh election by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct a fresh election with 90 days, Monday Ubani, f
Former second national vice president of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Mr Monday Ubani, has said election will not hold in Bayelsa until the exhaustion of the appeal process.

Ubani said though the Election Petition Tribunal judgment had ordered INEC to conduct a fresh election within 90 days, the matter would take a long judicial process, at which point Diri would remain the Governor of the Stare pending when, any mistake which must have been made by the tribunal would have be corrected at the Appeal and Supreme Courts.

 The former chairman of Ikeja branch of NBA said since INEC was going to appeal the judgment of the tribunal, the electoral umpire would present all its ground of appeal before the Court of Appeal, while Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would also present its appeal over the nullification of the election before the Court of Appeal as well. 

“Any mistake made by the tribunal would be corrected at the Court of Apoeal or the Supreme Court. It is not a matter of now. If the Governor cannot appeal within 21 days, he would vacate the office as the Governor of the State, but if he is able to appeal within 21 days he would remain in office until the matter is determined at the Apoeal Court or Supreme Court”, he said.