The All Progressives Congress, APC and its governorship candidate in the November 11, 2023, gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, have asked members of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to recuse themselves in the hearing of their petition against the election of Governor Douye Diri.
APC and Sylva on Monday maintained that they cannot get justice or fair hearing from the Tribunal as constituted under Justice Adekunle Adeleye.
In the fresh motion on notice they have just argued, APC and Sylva insisted that they have no confidence or trust any longer in the Tribunal.
The motion was brought under paragraphs 18 and 47 of the first schedule of the Electoral Act 2022 and section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.
In the case the Tribunal members decline to recuse themselves, the two petitioners demanded in the alternative that the record of the proceedings from February 14, 2024, when the proceedings started to February 27 when they closed their case.
APC and Sylva demanded that the record of proceedings must reflect the true position of the witnesses evidence.
The motion for recuse was filed by Onyechi Ikpeazu and Ahmed Raji both Senior Advocates of Nigeria on behalf of the two petitoners.
The respondents in the APC and Sylva’s Petition marked EPT/BY/Gov/04/2023 are INEC, Governor Douye Diri, Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrujakpo and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Charles Edosomwan who stood for INEC, Chris Uche SAN who stood for Governor Douye Diri, Chukwuma Machukwu Ume SAN counsel to Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrujakpo and Tayo Oyetibo SAN who represented the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, all vehemently objected to granting of the request.
