The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate in the November 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva has passed a vote of no confidence on the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
They accused the Tribunal headed by Justice Adekunle Adeleye of undue bias against them in the conduct of proceedings and demanded its outright disbandment and reconstitution.
In the petition to the President of the Court of Appeal, APC and Sylva accused the Tribunal of denying them their Constitutional right to fair hearing as required by law.
Among others, APC and its governorship candidate claimed that they had lined up 234 witnesses to establish their petition against the declaration of Senator Douye Diri as winner of the poll.
When hearing was to resume on Monday, the Tribunal Chairman, Justice Adekunle Adeleye informed lawyers to various parties of a petition questioning the members neutrality and integrity and seeking indefinite adjournment in the hearing of the case.
Justice Adeleye said he did not know where the Tribunal members have gone wrong as alleged by Sylva and his party.
Counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Charles Edosomwan said both APC and Sylva were not fair to the Tribunal in their allegations of bias and distortion of facts.
In the same vein, similar views were expressed by Chris Uche who stood for Governor Douye Diri, Chukwuma Machukwu Ume counsel for Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrujakpo and Tayo Oyetibo who represented the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
After brief reactions, they agreed that the adjournment be granted as requested by APC and Sylva.
In a short ruling, Justice Adekunle Adeleye adjourned the matter sine-die to await the decision of the Court of Appeal President on the allegations of bias and denial of fair hearing as raised by the two petitoners.
In the petition signed by Sylvester Elema said APC and Sylva agreed to call 25 witnesses daily and lamented that the Tribunal allowed them to call only 8 witnesses per day.
In the face of the impossible tasks allegedly imposed on them, APC and Sylva complained that they had no option than to hurriedly close their case on February 27 after calling only 49 out of their 234 witnesses.
Besides, APC and Sylva alleged that in the records of proceedings they obtained, the Tribunal made several comments and observations in writing which pointed to the facts that the Tribunal had made up its mind to go the way of the respondents.
APC and Sylva also accused the Tribunal of being grossly unfair to them in their written comments that “comparisons done on two exhibits showed same lettering”.
They therefore demanded for immediate dissolution of the Tribunal and reconstitution of a new one that would conduct unbiased proceedings in the remaining three months life span of the petition.
In a separate letter they brought to the Tribunal through their counsel, APC and Sylva demanded that the Tribunal should adjourn proceedings in the matter indefinitely pending the time the Court of Appeal President will come out with a decision on the petition.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
