The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in the November 2023 Governorship Election in Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, have officially concluded their petition contesting the declaration of Governor Douye Diri as the election winner.
Appearing at Tuesday’s proceedings, Sylva and the APC finalized their case after presenting 52 witnesses to support their claims regarding irregularities in the conduct of the November 11 governorship election.
Among the witnesses was former Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State, Akeem Alausa, who testified in favor of the petitioners and submitted various exhibits to bolster his testimony.
During cross-examination, Alausa acknowledged the controversy surrounding his role during the election and mentioned protests both for and against his continued tenure as police commissioner in the state. Despite allegations, he refuted any affiliation with Sylva and provided a list of policemen stationed at polling units on election day.
While admitting that 16 political parties participated in the governorship election, Alausa clarified that his witness statement focused solely on the challenged election results in Nembe, Ogbia, and Southern-Ijaw local government areas.
Following the proceedings, the Tribunal Chairman, Justice Adekunle Adeleye, adjourned the case to March 4, 2024, for the defendants to commence their defense.