Court adjourns suit seeking Gov Diri’s disqualification from Bayelsa election till March 18

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, adjourned the suit seeking the disqualification of the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, and his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, from last year’s governorship election till March 18 for hearing.

The suit which was listed on number 14 on the cause list was dropped from the court’s business for the day to the volume of work before the judge.

He, therefore, fixed March 18 for the hearing.

A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa, Blessing Clement Azibanagbal, had in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1448/23 sought an order of mandatory injunction directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove the names of Diri and Ewhrudjakpo as the party’s candidates in the November 11, 2023 poll.

READ ALSO: Bayelsa election tribunal receives 31 petitions

She also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC, its agents, privies, or whosoever called from further publishing the names of the two men as PDP standard bearers in the election, among other reliefs.

PDP and INEC were also listed as respondents in the suit.

The case was filed nine days before the election.

Diri was re-elected for another term of four years after he defeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Timipre Sylva, in the election.

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