The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, has thrown out a petition filed by the Bayelsa Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Marlin Sylva.
Sylva had written a petition, requesting the president of the appellate court to disband and reconstitute the Bayelsa State election tribunal sitting in Abuja, alleging bias and unfair hearing against the chairman, Justice Adekunle Adeleye, and the two other panel members.
The APC candidate, who is challenging the victory of Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 11, 2023 governorship poll, claimed the tribunal did not give him enough time after calling 52 witnesses and closing his case last week Wednesday.
Justice Adeleye had to adjourn the tribunal sitting indefinitely on Monday, March 4 for the Appeal Court president to decide on the petition.
But a hearing notice dated March 6, 2024, indicated that the petition failed and that the tribunal had been directed to continue the matter under the same panel.
The hearing notice, which was signed by the Secretary of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, stated that the matter will resume at the tribunal on Monday, March 11, 2024.
