Supreme Court Ends Sylva’s Dream Of Returning As Bayelsa Gov *Stage Set For His Trial For Forgery
2 min read
With Friday’s judgement of the Supreme Court dismissing his appeal against the election of Senator Douye Diri as governor of Bayelsa State, TNN has been told that the stage is now set for the arraignment of the former minister of petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, for forgery.
Sylva stood against Diri during the November 11, 2023 gubernatorial election, but lost.
He approached the election tribunal where he tendered results to show that he was the winner of the election and asked the tribunal to declare him winner.
But INEC was to disown the results he tendered, alleging that the results were forged by the APC and Sylva.
The tribunal, in giving judgement on the petition pilloried Sylva for what they called the presentation of fake results to the tribunal.
The development angered an NGO in the state which threatened to drag Sylva before a court of competent jurisdiction, to answer for the fake results.
Apart from the NGO, the state government was also not happy that a member of the PDP was killed at the INEC office during the election. Accusing fingers were pointed at Sylva by the government.
It was because of this and the fake results issues that the state government decided to sue the former minister.
But TNN learnt that the action was delayed because the election case was still dragging, as Sylva had approached the court of appeal and later the apex court.
On Friday, a few minutes after Justice Garba Lawal of the Supreme Court passed the judgement dismissing Sylva’ appeal, a source within the government informed TNN that the time had come for the former minister to face justice over the twin issues of fake results and alleged murder.
Meanwhile, goodwill messages have been pouring in for the governor after the apex court affirmed Diri as the duly elected governor of the state.
In Abuja, where Diri was as at the time of the judgement, some of his colleagues and a few PDP chieftains were with him to celebrate the victory, among them, the Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
