Supreme Court today (Thursday) nullified the election of Bayelsa State governor-elect, Mr David Lyon and his running mate, Mr Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, who were already preparing to be inaugurated into office.

A five-man panel of the apex court led by Mrs Mary Peter-Odili ordered Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to All Progressives Congress’ candidates as winners of the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the state.

The apex court ordered INEC to issue fresh certificates to candidates of the party with the next highest votes and with the required constitutional spread of votes in the results of the election, which are Peoples Democratic Party’s candidates.

Mr Ejembi Ekwo, who read the lead judgment of the apex, made the orders after disqualifying APC’s deputy governorship candidate, Degi-Eremienyo, as a candidate in the election.

The court upheld the November 12, 2019 judgment of Federal High Court in Abuja which had disqualified Degi-Eremienyo in the election for submitting forged certificates to INEC.

The court ruled Degi-Eremienyo’s disqualification had infected the joint ticket with which he and the governorship candidate, Lyon, ran for and won the November 16, 2019 election.

Punch