Bayelsa Election Tribunal: Wrong Pagination Stalls Sylva’s Petition

CHANNELS TV

Hearing in a petition filed by the governorship candidate of the Bayelsa State All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr Timipre Sylva, challenging the election of Governor Seriake Dickson has been stalled due to wrong pagination of the petition.

Lawyer to the petitioner, Sebastian Hon (SAN), requested for an adjournment of one day to enable him reconcile the numbering of the pages and open his case.

Shortly after proceedings commenced it stopped abruptly when parties in the case and even the judges realized that the court process was not properly numbered and that the first witness was not properly identified.

This made counsel to Mr Sylva, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) apply for a short adjournment to enable him correct the errors.

His application was not opposed by the respondents and it was granted by the Tribunal.

The Tribunal, however, turned down his application asking that the day’s sitting not be counted as part of the days granted his client to prove his case.

The Chairman of the Tribunal agreed with the respondents that his inability to go on with his case, does not cancel the fact that the day had been fixed for hearing, but noted that should in case his application is premature and speculative, if he requires more days, it will be considered at a later date.

The APC its governorship candidate are challenging the election of Governor Seriake Dickson as Governor of Bayelsa State in the December 5, 2015 and January 9, 2016 governorship election in the state.