Bayelsa Guber: Court Shocks APC

Barely two days to the conduct of the Governorship Election in Bayelsa State, the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state may have received a rude shock after the Federal High Court on Thursday declared that it does not have a guber candidate for the polls.

The court declaration on Thursday, was part of its judgement in a case filed by former minister of state for Agriculture and one of the APC governorship aspirants, Heineken Lokpobiri,

The court was presided over by Justice Jane Inyang.

THE WHISTLER recalls that Lokpobiri had approached the court, asking it to declare him, and not David Lyon, the authentic candidate of the APC.

According to Lokpobiri’s lawyer, Fitzgerald Olorogun while addressing journalists immediately after the court ruling, the court held that governorship primary was not done in compliance with guidelines and constitution of the party.

 “The court pronounced that the governorship primary conducted by the APC in Bayelsa state was not done in compliance with the guidelines and the constitution of the party, and, therefore, the party has no candidate,” Olorogun said.

Olorogun added that said the court declaration was not part of their prayers. “It’s strange,” he said.

On what the next option for his client was, the lawyer said “We’ll do the needful. But for now, the pronouncement of the court is that APC has no candidate.”

There was heavy police presence within and outside the court premises. The main highway way leading to the court was barricaded by the police. Visitors, including journalists, were frisked before they were allowed to enter the court building.

Recall that before now, Lokpobiri has been urging the people of Bayelsa to vote for the APC in the November 16 election, despite his court case against Lyon and the party.

“I’m a very strong member of APC and I came today to formally tell our chairman and to speak to Nigerians, in particular, the electorate in Bayelsa that all of them should vote for APC regardless of what happens in the court case in which judgment is slated for Nov. 14, 2019,” the former minister said in Abuja after a courtesy visit on the national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

“I told my supporters even before I came here that no matter what happened, I will remain in APC having served as a minister under this administration.

“There is no way the outcome of the governorship primaries will make me leave APC. We are working and campaigning at different levels.

“I always advise that anybody that is grieved, the only place to go is the court.

“So, whatever happens in the matter that is pending in court will not be an infraction on any part of our party’s constitution,” he said.

The latest declaration by the court comes two days after Lyon’s running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo was disqualified by an Abuja Federal High Court in a case filed against him by the PDP.

Degi-Eremienyo was disqualified from participating in the forthcoming election on the grounds that he provided conflicting information on the documents he presented to INEC.