The Bayelsa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, on Monday, affirmed the election victory of Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa.

The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye-led, dismissed the petition by All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, as lacking in merit.

The tribunal, in a unanimous decision, held that the petitioners failed to adduce any credible evidence to substantiate any of the allegations they raised against the outcome of the state’s governorship poll.

It struck out as incompetent, all the additional proof of evidence as well as statements on oath of some of the witnesses that testified for the petitioners. According to the tribunal, the law expressly provided that an election petition must be filed not later than 21 days after the result of an election was declared.

It held that such a petition must, at the time it was filed, be accompanied by written statements of all the intended witnesses.

The tribunal held that the decision of Sylva and his party to file their additional proof of evidence and statement on oath of witnesses, long after they had filed the petition, was “tantamount to a surreptitious attempt to amend the case of the petitioners.”

More so, the tribunal dismissed the allegation that the deputy governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, tendered a forged University Degree Certificate and NYSC Exemption Certificate, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in aid of his qualification to contest the election.

It held that the allegation was a pre-election matter that ought to be litigated before the Federal High Court, adding that the matter had become statute-barred since the petitioners failed to challenge the genuineness of the certificates, 14 days after it was submitted to INEC.

Besides, it held that the issue of Ewhrudjakpo’s educational qualification was previously determined by a court of competent jurisdiction. The tribunal said it took judicial notice of the fact that the 3rd respondent, Ewhrudjakpo, is a legal practitioner, saying it was satisfied that he was eminently qualified to contest the election.

The tribunal equally noted that though Sylva and his party prayed the panel to declare that they were the valid winners of the governorship election, it said they also applied for the same election to be declared invalid.

It held that the prayers of the petitioners were contradictory, adding that Sylva and APC did not tender any electoral material to show that any irregularity occurred during the election.

It held that the petitioners were unable to discharge the burden of proof that was placed on them by the law, stressing that they failed to show, polling units by polling units, the particulars of the non-compliance they alleged and how it substantially affected the outcome of the election.

The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has been suspended from the party in Ward 3 in Arue-Uromi, in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State for alleged high-handedness and anti-party activities.

A letter of suspension dated May 14, 2024, and another letter of ratification dated May 15, 2024, both of which were ratified at a meeting of the state executive committee on Friday night in Benin, stated that the suspension is with immediate effect.

It advised Abure to stop holding out or parading himself as a member of the party.

The letter of suspension was signed by the Ward Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese, and Ward Secretary, Stanley Usiomoh.

The letter of ratification of his suspension was forwarded to the State Executive Committee of the party through the State Chairman by the Local Government Chairman of the party in Esan North-East, Patrick Onogbeni, and LG Secretary, Ehikioya Eromosele.

The ratification letter read, “Here forwarded to you and for your consideration is the ratification of the suspension of Julius Abure from the membership of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Ean North East LGA, Edo State.

“The LGA Executive met on 15th of May, 2024, about noon, to consider the matters presented on the suspension and accordingly found them weighty and the suspension ratified and upheld.”

The State Executive Committee led by Kelly Ogbaloi endorsed the decisions of the ward and local government committee of the party on Friday.

The venue of the meeting was charged as leaders and members of the party chanted: “Abure must go!”

The State Executive Committee considered the letters, together with the issues contained therein, and ratified Abure’s suspension.

The Kano house of assembly has repealed the law that created five emirates in the state.

During plenary on Thursday, the legislators passed the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Bill 2024.

In May 2019, the assembly approved the amendment of the Kano State Emirate Council Law, which paved the way for the balkanisation of the emirate.

The legislation was purportedly conceived to whittle the powers of Muhammadu Sanusi, then Emir of Kano.

Subsequently, Abdullahi Ganduje, then governor of the state, signed the bill into law.

With the law, Kano was divided into five emirates — Kano, Rano, Gaya, Karaye and Bichi — with Emirs appointed into each emirate.

In March 2020, Ganduje deposed Sanusi as Emir of Kano “for total disrespect to lawful instructions from the office of the governor”.

During plenary last Tuesday, Lawan Hussaini Dala, the majority leader, moved a motion for the amendment of the law.

Dala said the law was not conceived in good faith, while raising concerns over the creation of the emirates.

Afterwards, the house resolved to amend the law.

The newly passed bill abolishes the five emirates and “all the appointments or offices arising therefrom”.

The bill also stipulates that the governor should restore the previous Kano emirate system.

TheCable understands that Abba Yusuf, governor of Kano, is expected to sign the bill into law today.