Court Reverses Disqualification Of Bayelsa Deputy Governor-elect

An Appeal Court which sat today in Abuja, reversed a Federal High Court judgement which disqualified Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo as the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Bayelsa State governorship election.

While Justice Iyang Ekwo disqualified Degi-Eremienyo for allegedly supplying false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in relation to his educational qualifications which bore different names, a three-man panel chaired by Justice Stephen Adah ruled that the High Court erred in law and in breach of the appellant’s right to a fair hearing.

The Appeal Court panel also pointed out that Degi-Eremienyo submitted an affidavit to prove that the names Adeyi-Eremienyo on his school-leaving certificate are the same as Degi-Eremienyo on his GCE certificate and newspaper cuttings announcing a change of name.

Adah said; 

“I agree with the appellant that the owner of the school leaving certificate and the GCE certificate are one and the same and I therefore set aside the judgment of the court below."