Timipre Sylva’s appeal needless distraction – Diri
By Jeffrey Agbo
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has described the appeal filed by the former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva, as a needless distraction.
A Court of Appeal on Thursday dismissed Sylva’s case and that of his party for lacking in merit.
Reacting afterwards, Diri said the case was not only a distraction for him but for the entire state.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying that he was not surprised about the outcome of the case given the character of the APC candidate.
He said the verdict was a victory for people of the state and that he was ready to meet Sylva at the Supreme Court.
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He said: “It (the appeal) is a distraction not only to me but also to the government and people of the state. You also know the character of the person involved. So this is not unexpected.
“However, it is victory for Bayelsa State and I do not think I want to waste my time calling on anybody to work with us. They already said they are going to the Supreme Court. So, we will meet them there.”
Diri’s counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), who also spoke to journalists, explained that the appellant (Sylva) failed to provide evidence and that the verdict of the Appeal Court vindicated the governor’s legal team and the election tribunal, which earlier upheld Diri’s election.
Uche said by the victory, the governor can now concentrate on his service to people of the state and expressed confidence that given the facts of the case, the verdict of the Supreme Court will not be different.
