The All Progressives Congress, APC, and its governorship candidate in the last November gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, have passed a vote of no confidence on the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
They accused the Tribunal, headed by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, of undue bias against them in the conduct of proceedings and demanded its outright disbandment and reconstitution.
In a strongly worded petition to the President of the Court of Appeal, the APC and Sylva accused the Tribunal of denying them fair hearing as required by law.
Among others, APC and its governorship candidate claimed that they had lined up over 400 witnesses to establish their petition while the Tribunal permitted them to call only 52 witnesses.
They alleged that in the records of proceedings they obtained, the Tribunal made several comments and observations in writing which pointed to the fact that the it had made up its mind to go the way of the respondents.
In a letter they brought to the Tribunal through their counsel, Mr R. I.Balogun, APC and Sylva demanded that the Tribunal should adjourn proceedings in the matter indefinitely pending the time the Court of Appeal President will come out with a decision on the petition.
Although lawyers to the respondents frowned at the allegations against the Tribunal, they agreed that the adjournment be granted.
In a short ruling, Justice Adeleye adjourned the matter sine-die, indefinitely, to await the decision of the Court of Appeal President on the allegations of bias and denial of fair hearing as raised by the two petitoners.
The respondents in the APC and Sylva’s Petition on the election are the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Governor Douye Diri, Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrujakpo and the Peoples Democratic Party PDP.
Details later.