By Tosin Olatokunbo
Douye Diri, the governor of Bayelsa state can now settle down to govern his people following the verdict of the Supreme court that threw out the appeal filed against him by Timi Alaibe, former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC and Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP in last year governorship election in the state.
Governor Diri and PDP leaders, the magazine learnt had put pressure on the former NDDC boss to with draw the suit to no avail, he still pressed ahead with the legal battle.
His reason is not farfetched; the former NDDC boss is angry that he was robbed of the PDP governorship primary that produced Diri as the candidate.
The battle to sack Governor Diri, has been for Alaibe, a long tortuous one, and has finally ended with the Apex court verdict on Tuesday dismissing the suit as a pre-election matter.
Before the Supreme Court finally put an end to the matter yesterday, Justice Tijani Ringim of a federal high court, had in his verdict on March 10, dismissed Alaibe’s suit for lacking merit.
Dissatisfied with the judgment of the Federal High Court, Alaibe proceeded to the Court of Appeal.
On May 12, an Appeal Court sitting in Owerri affirmed the judgment of the lower court and dismissed the suit for lacking merit.
Alaibe again proceeded to the Supreme Court.
Recall that On February 13, Diri was declared governor by the Supreme Court which sacked David Lyon, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC candidate in the election.
Meanwhile, Governor Diri has extended the olive branch to Alaibe and other angry members of his party to join him in moving the state forward.
Speaking after the Supreme Court verdict yesterday, Governor Diri dedicated his victory to God Almighty, adding that nobody has the power to remove him.
