The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Senator Douye Diri of Bayelsa State.

On Friday, the apex court delivered a judgment dismissing the appeal by Timipre Sylva and the APC, with Justice Garba Lawal’s lead judgment characterizing the appeal as meritless and a gross abuse of judicial procedure.

In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the prior decisions of the Court of Appeal and the Election Petition Tribunal, solidifying the victory of Governor Diri. This decision aligns with the Court of Appeal’s unanimous judgment on July 18, 2024, which affirmed the Tribunal’s November 11, 2023, ruling in favor of Diri’s reelection. The appellate court’s three-member panel had previously dismissed the appeal filed by Timipre Sylva and the APC, seeking to overturn the Tribunal’s decision.

On May 27, 2024, the Justice Adekunle Adeleye-led tribunal dismissed the petition challenging Governor Diri’s reelection, filed by the APC and its candidate, due to a lack of merit. The tribunal found that Sylva and the APC failed to provide any credible evidence to support their allegations regarding the governorship election outcome, leading to the dismissal of the petition.