As the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2015 and 2016 governorship elections in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, goes to the Supreme Court to appeal the judgement of the appellate court which upheld the election of the incumbent governor of Bayelsa State, Honourable Seriake Dickson, the latter has raised the alarm on the former’s disrespect for the Judiciary and particularly the Supreme Court.
Sylva is asking the apex court to set aside the judgement of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, which dismissed the appeal seeking to overturn the decision of the Bayelsa State Election Petitions Tribunal which upheld the election of Dickson as winner of the last election in the state.
Dickson averred that Sylva, who is known for holding the apex court in contempt, has reverted to the same court for justice.
After Sylva’s futile attempt to challenge his victory at the Supreme Court, Dickson said Sylva committed contempt of court in 2012 by refusing to pay him N5000,000 being the amount the Supreme Court ordered Sylva to pay as damages for abusing court process and for wasting the time of the justices.
In a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Daniel Iworiso-Markson, in Yenagoa, Dickson posited that if Sylva had respect for the judiciary, he would have paid him the N500,000 as ordered by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court, consisting of five justices in 2012, had in a unanimous judgement, resolved in favour of Dickson, the two issues raised by Sylva for determination before awarding the damages.
According to the statement, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who read the lead judgement, was hard on the former governor for wasting the time of the court and awarded N500,000 as cost against Sylva, to be paid to Dickson, the 3rd respondent. Whereas the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP, who were listed as 1st and 2nd defendants, were to bear their costs.
“Sylva is yet to pay me the sum of N500,000 as ordered by the highest court in the land, thereby disrespecting the apex court. It is, therefore, surprising that it is still the same apex court Sylva is returning to ask the Supreme Court to remove Governor Seriake Dickson on the frivolous grounds that the election which brought him to office was unknown to law”.
