UPDATED: Supreme Court Sacks Bayelsa APC Governor-Elect, Lyon

The Supreme Court on Thursday sacked David Lyon of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as governor-elect of Bayelsa State, barely 24 hours to his inauguration.

A five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Mary Odili nullified the election of Mr Lyon on the grounds that his deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, presented false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) in aid of his qualification for the November 16 governorship election in State.

The Supreme Court agreed with an earlier ruling of the high court on the matter.

The apex court in the judgment delivered by Justice Ejembi Eko consequently ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Messrs Lyon and Degi-Eremienyo.

The judge also ordered that INEC should immediately declare the party with the highest number of lawful votes and geographical spread.

With the judgment of the apex court on Thursday, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP), Diri Duoye, is expected to be inaugurated on Friday as governor of Bayelsa State.

Mr Duoye came second in the election with 143,172 votes to Mr Lyon’s 352,552 votes. He won the election in two of Bayelsa’s eight local governments while Mr Lyon won in the remaining six.

The results

According to the final results announced in November last year, for Ekeremo local government, the number of registered voters was announced as 125,189 while accredited voters were 41,423. In the local government, the APC won by polling 21,489 votes while the PDP polled 18,344 votes.

In Southern Ijaw local government, the APC candidate polled 124,803 votes to defeat his closest rival in PDP who polled 4,898 votes. The APC candidate hails from the local government.

Mr Lyon also defeated Mr Diri in Nembe by polling 83,041 votes. Mr Diri, on his part, polled 874 in the local government.

In Kolokuma/Opokuma, the APC had 8,934 votes while the PDP had 15,360.

In Sagbama, Mr Diri of the PDP polled 60,339 votes to beat Mr Lyon who polled 7831.

In Ogbia, the PDP polled 13,763 votes while the APC polled 58,016 votes.

In Yenagoa, the APC candidate polled 24,607 votes while the PDP polled 19,184 votes.

The total number of votes cast was put at 505,884; rejected votes were 6,333; and number of valid votes were put at 499,511.

“That Lyon David of APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared winner and returned elected,” Mr Orumwese said in his declaration on Monday.