Senator Duoye Diri’s reelection as Bayelsa State’s governor has been confirmed by the Supreme Court, which has dismissed an appeal brought by Timipre Sylva, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the November 11, 2023, off-cycle election. Leading a five-person Supreme Court bench, Justice Lawal Garba upheld the July 15 ruling of the Court of Appeal, which deemed Sylva’s appeal to be an abuse of the legal process because two notices of appeal had been filed.
The 1999 Constitution’s clause, which the Apex Court referenced, makes it clear that the APC governorship candidate is only allowed to file one appeal against the Tribunal’s ruling—not several. As a result, the Court disapproved of Sylva’s choice to submit two notices of appeal. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal for lack of merit in a unanimous decision. Timipre Sylva of the APC lost to Governor Duoye Diri of the PDP, who garnered 175,196 votes, according to an earlier announcement from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).