Timipire Sylva, the recently appointed Minister of Petroleum, is scheduled to testify before the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja on Tuesday, November 11, 2023, in opposition to the announcement of Governor Douye Diri as the victor of the state’s governorship election.
Sylva, the All Progressives Congress’s (APC) candidate for governor in the governor’s race, will serve as a star witness in his lawsuit to overturn Diri’s declaration of election as governor.
Newsmen saw a hearing notice that stated Ogwu James Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and Ahmed Raji, the APC’s chief attorney, will present the candidate’s case.
It is anticipated that the ex-minister, who was also the governor of the same Bayelsa State, will give the Tribunal his version of events from the most recent gubernatorial contest.
After Sylva’s evidence, Diri, the election winner and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, would cross-examine him regarding the truthfulness of any accusations and allegations the witness might make.
Leading the group of seasoned attorneys led by Chris Uche, SAN, is the legal representation of Governor Diri at the Tribunal.
The APC candidate for governor would also be allowed to be cross-examined on his claims against the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, which oversaw the contentious election.
Professor Faruq Kuta, the Returning Officer, reports that Diri and the PDP received 175,196 votes, defeating the APC’s Timipre Sylva, who received 110,108 votes.
Unhappy, Sylva and the APC went to the tribunal to contest Diri’s election victory announcement.
Justice Adekunle Adeleye, the Chairman of the Tribunal, will preside over today’s session.
