Just in: Constitutional confusion in Bayelsa as nobody may be sworn in Friday
Strong indications have emerged suggesting that the new joy of ruling People Democratic party (PDP) in Bayelsa State following the Supreme Court ruling that sacked All Progressive Congress (APC) Gov-elect, Chief David Lyon and directed the next in order of winning to be sworn in may not be after all, Senator Douye Diri of the PDP.
Reason, fact checks on the INEC result sheet of the November 16, 2019 guber elections in Bayelsa State showed that whereas Senator Diri remains the winner by valid votes after disqualification of APC flag bearer, he may not have secured the constitutional two-third vote spread across the eight LGAs.
Already, this evening, the APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has vowed that nobody should be sworn in as governor in Bayelsa State on Friday February 14 because the PDP candidate did not make two-third of total votes cast.
According to him, “In this case nobody apart from David Lyon meet desire spread as expressed by the Supreme Court.
“The next candidate who happens to be a PDP candidate does not have one-quarter of the votes cast in that election.”
However, it was not clear if Oshiomhole recognised the fact that based on the Supreme Court ruling today, APC votes in that election do not exist again, but votes of the PDP and other parties that contested.
Besides, less than few minutes after APC national chairman concluded his press briefing in Abuja, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike fired his shots, warning Oshiomhole to stop making remarks that will destabilise Nigeria.
Governor Wike also berated the APC National Chairman for saying that there will be no swearing-in of the PDP Candidate in Bayelsa State, saying he has no such powers.
A statement made available by the Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu quoted the aggrieved governor as saying that “The Federal Government should warn Oshiomhole to stop making remarks that will destabilise Nigeria.
“What he is doing in Edo State is not proper and he should not bring it to the rest of the Niger Delta.”
He said that Oshiomhole lacks the power to make pronouncements after the Supreme Court has ruled on the Bayelsa matter.
“Who is Oshiomhole to determine who has spread in a state? Supreme Court has made a ruling. It is unfortunate for Oshiomhole to come forward to say that nobody will be sworn in, he said.
He said that Oshiomhole is making unguarded statements because he has lost the support of APC Governors; hence he wants to curry favour through careless talks.
He said: “It is most unfortunate what Oshiomhole is doing because he wants to retain his position as National Chairman. APC Governors have rejected him, that is why he is struggling to prove that he is fighting for the Party.
“He is making statements as if he owns the country. This is the same way he is carrying on in Edo State fighting the Governor.
“He believes that he has the forces to cause crisis. He is arrogating powers to himself, which is not good “, he said.
Governor Wike described Oshiomhole as a man who preaches one thing, then goes ahead to practise a different thing. He said the situation in Edo State has exposed Adams Oshiomhole as a godfather who once preached against godfathers.
He said Oshiomhole would not be allowed to destroy the Niger Delta. Governor Wike said the rule of law must continue to prevail at all times.
Already, many political watchers have started weighing alternatives ahead of tomorrow on who assumes the position of the governor.
Whereas some say due to PDP’s poor voter spread, the Speaker of the House of Assembly may be sworn in pending when INEC may conduct another rerun in which the APC shall not be part of based on the standing disqualification by the Supreme Court.
Efforts to get the views of INEC at press time failed even though it had on hearing the judgement assured of total compliance.
The cloudy question therefore is, will INEC issue the PDP candidate the certificate of return when it failed to secure the constitutional two-third of total votes cast?
The result of the election showed that whereas APC’s Lyon scored 352552 to win, leaving Douye of the PDP with 143172.
However, a senior Lagos lawyer, who pleaded not to be named in a telephone interview, argued as follows; “For the fact that APC candidate, Chief Lyon is off the line vide today’s Supreme Court judgment, it means that the votes of the APC do not exist again, hence the PDP votes are now the highest across the eight LGAs which further translate to the fact that PDP remains not only the party with the highest number of votes, but highest number of votes spread.”
“Therefore, INEC should without delay, issue, according to the ruling fresh certificate of return to Senator Duoye and his running mate. full stop!?
