PDP Offered Hands Of Fellowship After Appeal Court Judgement  But Apc Headed For Supreme Court

By Enideneze Etete

After the Appeal Court verdict, the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenged the Appeal Court jugdement at the Supreme Court, which upheld Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson’s election as governor of Bayelsa State for second term.

The party was dissatisfied with the judgement against its candidate, Chief Timipre Silva, whose appeal was dismissed on grounds of lack of merit and genuine evidences by the Abuja Division of the Appeal Court.

The plan to go to Supreme Court was dropped by Mr. Ineworio Wilson, a member of the appellants’ legal team, when he was interviewed by newsmen at the Appeal Court in Abuja, shortly after the judgement.

True to plan, the legal teams to Chief Silva and the APC analysed the judgement and advise their clients to head for the Supreme Court in order to seek justice.

Meanwhile, as the appellants threatened to appeal the case for the second time, counsels to Hon. Dickson and the PDP, on their part declared that they were ever set to slug it out with the appellants if the matter was taken to the Supreme Court.

They made their position known to journalists soon after the jugdement was given in Abuja, stressing that they were ready to stand for their clients whose cases had been clearly determined by the tribunal and the appeal court.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) extended hands of fellowship to its opponents.

Bayelsa State Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Moses Cleopas said in an interview at the Appeal Court in Abuja, shortly after the judgement that the governor and his party were willing to accommodate the APC candidate and his supporters.

Moses stated that the call was in the interest of Bayelsa State, adding that the APC, Chief Silva and his team would have rather supported Governor Dickson to consolidate development efforts in the state.

He described the Appeal Court Jugdement as a welcomed development, stressing that it would give better room to the governor to implement his programmes.

Similarly, the legislator representing Yenagoa/Kolokumo/Opokumo Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, Abuja, Mr. Douye Diri, implored the APC and Chief Silva to save resources, instead of pursuing the election matter to the Supreme Court.

Mr. Diri said that they should see the jugdegment as that of no victor no vanquished and join hands to move Bayelsa State forward.

He said the Appeal Court verdict explicitly affirms the decision of the Governorship Election Tribunal which had earlier upheld the victory of Hon. Dickson hence there was no need for further contest.

A member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr. Beneth Kenebai (Salga, 2), said the APC should not have allowed the election dispute to linger and continue to distract the governor and the State Government. But these pleas not to go further with the case yielded no results.

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