The Bayelsa Governorship Election Tribunal on Monday nullified the election of Governor Douye Diri.
The three-member panel held the election was unlawful due to the exclusion of Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP) and its candidate, King George from the November 2019 governorship election.
Consequently, the tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a bye election within 90 days.
The ANDP had in the petition, challenged the victory of Diri in the governorship election, on grounds among others that it was unlawfully excluded from the election.
In a split judgement of two-one, the panel ruled that INEC does not have the power to disqualify any candidate for an election.
INEC’s contention was that the party’s Deputy Governorship candidate was 34-year-old as at the time of nomination and therefore was not qualify to contest the election.
But ANDP had argued that following the notification by INEC, its initial Deputy Governorship Candidate, David Esinkuma was duly substituted by the Party within the allowed time frame.
In nullifying the election, the Justice Mohammed Sirajo-led panel reasoned that the petition was filed within 21 days, which is the stipulated time for petitions to be filed.
Last week, the tribunal had dismissed three petitions filed against Governor Douye Diri challenging his victory.
Channels TV reports that the three-man panel in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Owodunni, held that the candidate of the Alliance for Democracy, Owei Woniwei failed to prove the allegations of forged declaration of age and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharged certificate levelled against the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence.