Supreme Court on Monday reserved its judgment in the appeal brought against

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri by the governorship

candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the Bayelsa gubernatorial election.

 The apex Court panel led by Justice Garba Lawal deferred judgment to a date to be

communicated to parties involved in the litigation.

Meanwhile, Governor Diri has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal filed

by Timipre Sylva for lack of merit. Diri insisted before the apex court that Sylva’s

appeal was bad beyond redemption as no witness or documents supported his

request being made at the court. At Monday’s proceedings, Governor Diri,

represented by Chris Uche SAN maintained that the appeal was devoid of merit and

should be dismissed in its entirety.

The Independent National Electoral Commission represented by Charles

Edoshomwan, the People’s Democratic Party represented by Tayo Oyetibo SAN all

supported the call for the dismissal of the appeal for want of merit.

However, Sylva represented by Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN pleaded with the Justices to

set aside the judgments of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition and the

Court of Appeal which had earlier dismissed his petition. Sylva specifically asked the

Supreme Court to invalidate the declaration of Diri by INEC as the winner of the

gubernatorial poll and declare him as the lawful winner of the election.

After taking arguments from the lawyers involved, Justice Garba Lawal deferred

judgment till a date that would be communicated to the parties.