The Abuja Appeal Court, on Tuesday, levied a combined fine of N400,000 against Chief Timipre Sylva, the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 Bayelsa State election, for lodging an interlocutory appeal that consumed the court’s and respondents’ time.
The fine, totaling N400,000, was directed towards the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and three other respondents, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Douye Diri, and his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
The panel at the appellate court, chaired by Justice H.A Barka and including Justices A.B Mohammed and P. Obiorah, dismissed the appeal, which aimed at disbanding the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
Sylva and the APC had initially lodged an application to retract their appeal, which had sought the disqualification of the chairman and members of the Bayelsa State Election Petition Tribunal. Despite earlier allegations of bias against the tribunal, their application was dismissed by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, who instructed the tribunal to proceed with the petition.
Subsequently, the APC and its candidate filed an interlocutory appeal (No. CA/ABJ/EP/GOV/BY/09/2024) against the election tribunal’s decision not to recuse itself and sought an amendment of the record of proceedings.
Following their notice of withdrawal of the appeal on Monday, the court dismissed the appeal on Tuesday, imposing costs on Sylva and the APC.
