The All Progressives Congress (APC), has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), against issuing Diri Duoye a certificate of retu
The All Progressives Congress (APC), has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), against issuing Diri Duoye a certificate of return as the winner of the November 16 guber election. The party claimed he did not meet the constitutionally electoral requirements for inauguration as directed by the court.
The party made the appeal on Thursday evening in Yenagao, during a media briefing by APC stalwarts and other stakeholders. Speaking at the conference, the member representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Preye Oseke, described the judgement as shocking and procured.
He said the APC and the people of Bayelsa totally rejected the judgement and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to issue certificate of return to Diri. Oseke argued that even based on the pronouncement of the court, Diri was not qualified to be sworn-in as he failed to meet the constitutionally required geographical spread in the election.
He said: “As a people and party, we are rejecting the judgement completely. It is a procured judgement. While we have our respect for our revered justices, we believe that this is not the wish of Bayelsans. We are calling on INEC not to issue certificate of return to the candidate of the PDP because the candidate of the PDP was unable to score the required 25 per cent in the two third of the local government areas.
“As a party, we are law abiding. Our properties had been destroyed even in the midst of the judgement. But we are calling on all our party supporters to remain calm while our leaders, stakeholders meet and come up with the next line of action. We believe that the right thing will be done and the the rule of law will be upheld”.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has boasted that his candidate, Senator Douye Diri, would be inaugurated as the new Governor of the state following the judgement of the Supreme Court. Reacting to the judgement of the court in a special valedictory live media chat, Dickson faulted the position of the APC National Chairman Adams Oshiohmole on the judgement.
He said: “The court has decided and I don’t think the national chairman of the APC is competent to seek an appeal over the decisions of the Supreme Court. The last time I checked, the rules the judgement of the Supreme Court is final and that is what we have now. Any other issue is a question of interpretation and opinion. My candidate will be sworn in tomorrow.”
Dickson, however, called for calm and warned against tendencies that could lead to breakdown of law and order in the state.
