The Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Monday ruled against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva, in their attempt to disqualify members of the tribunal panel.
Naija News reports that this development is part of the ongoing legal battle in which the APC is challenging Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s election victory.
The motion, which sought the disqualification of the panel members over concerns of bias, was firmly dismissed by the tribunal’s chairman, Justice Adekunle Adeleye, after hearing arguments from both parties’ counsel.
In a decisive ruling, Justice Adeleye cited a directive from the President of the Court of Appeal dated March 5, which instructed the tribunal to continue with the hearing of the petition, dismissing any application for disqualification as irrelevant to the tribunal’s mandate. 
The courtroom, attended by Governor Diri himself, became the scene of a significant setback for the APC and Sylva, who had previously petitioned the President of the Court of Appeal seeking the disbandment of the panel. Their efforts were in vain as the tribunal proceeded to address the core of the election petition.
The legal representatives for Sylva argued that their move to challenge the tribunal panel stemmed from a belief that their clients would not be afforded justice.
This stance, however, was met with strong opposition from the respondents, who labeled the application as a strategic attempt to derail the tribunal’s proceedings and prevent them from mounting a defense against the election petition.
Critics of the APC and Sylva’s motion argued that it was a calculated effort to unduly influence the tribunal, accusing them of attempting to blackmail the panel members into submission.
Furthermore, it was highlighted that the APC and Sylva had actively participated in the pre-hearing session and had agreed to the timetable set forth by the tribunal, thereby committing to the process they now sought to disrupt.
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