More problems in Bayelsa PDP as Timi Alaibe heads to court to challenge governorship primaries

Timi Alaibe, one of the 21 aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s recently completed primary governorship in Bayelsa State, went to court to seek the cancellation of the exercise.

Douye Diri, a senator supported by the state’s incumbent governor, Seriake Dickson, won the primary.

Mr Diri received 561 votes, while with 365 votes Mr Alaibe ranked second.

In a declaration from his campaign organization on Saturday, Mr Alaibe said that the electoral method was “flawed” and “manipulated”, and that he was “brazenly robbed of victory”.

He applied to the federal high court, Yenogoa, on Friday to seek the cancelation of the primary result.

Among the plaintiffs in the suit are the PDP, Mr. Diri, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“The suit filed pursuant to Order 3(9) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019, seeks answers to questions bordering on obvious non-adherence to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2010, the Peoples Democratic Party Constitution and Election Guidelines, by the State Chapter of the party in the conduct of the Ward Congresses, inclusion of local government council officials in the delegates list and the procedure for inclusion of three ad-hoc delegates.

“Citing specific sections of relevant laws and guidelines, Alaibe is asking the court to examine the entire processes that resulted in the primaries and rule in his favour in the light of violations committed in a desperate move to impose a pre-determined hand-picked candidate on the people out of 21 aspirants,” said the statement which was signed by the administrative secretary of the campaign organisation, Seiyefa Brisibe.

No date has yet been set for the hearing.

Among other things, Mr. Alaibe protested against the inclusion of newly elected council chairmen, vice-chairmen and councillors as primary delegates. Their inclusion, he said, violated the constitution of the PDP.

The election of the Bayelsa governorship will take place on November 16.

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