The latest Supreme Court ruling on the governorship election in Bayelsa state has thrown up confusion and controversy on who will eventually be sworn in by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Valentine day 2020.
Five Supreme Court Justices, led by justice Mary Odili, has ruled that since the Deputy governor elect of Bayelsa state has allegedly forged his documents used to contest the elections, the election of the governor is null and void. They ordered that the party with the second highest vote and spread should be given the certificate of return and sworn in by INEC.
David Leon, the governor elect, is of the All Progressives Congress, APC, while the expected beneficiary of the judgement, Douye Diri, is of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, had insisted that based on the Supreme Court Judgement, no body will be sworn in as governor because, according to him, the PDP did not have the required geographical spread. But some Lawyers have argued that because the APC candidate has been disqualified, all votes cast for the APC has become automatically invalid. If this happens, then the PDP candidate will be sworn in. If not, a constitutional crisis looms.
That is not all. The INEC is now at crossroads on how to handle the situation. This Magazine gathered that INEC waited for the Judgement to decide on the next line of action. The Judgment was finally served to INEC, but curiously, it was signed by Justice Mary Odili and one other Justice, making it a minority ruling. As at press time, it is not clear what the Commission intends to do. Indications, however, are that there will be no obedience to the Court order since INEC may reject the judgement on technical grounds.
It remains to be seen how the confusion will be resolved, or else the state may be plunged into crisis.
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