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… Appellate Court Dismisses Dickson’s High Court Verdict
By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
It was jubilation galore on Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, February 14, 2023, for the people of Sagbama-Ekeremor as thousands of fans and supporters of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) candidate, for the Bayelsa West Senatorial District Election, Hon. Wilson Ayakpo Dauyegha (WAD) took to major towns and villages in the creeks of Bayelsa West district to celebrate the appellate court’s verdict dismissing the earlier High Court judgement that disqualified him from the race on New Year’s Day, 2023.
Describing the ruling as divinely orchestrated and a sign that WAD of the APC is poised to take the victory in the senatorial polls, respondents in an interview with our correspondent, expressed “dissatisfaction with the incumbent Senator Seriake Dickson of the PDP, for not abiding by the existing zoning arrangement in the area.”
They condemned Dickson’s “unsuccessful antics of adopting under arm tactics to boot out his opponents from the senatorial race at all costs as a do-or-die affair,” foreseeing his “imminent defeat” and rejection by the electorate at the polls.
According to our correspondent, they affirmed that with the appellate court’s Valentine verdict, restating Hon. Dauyegha on the ballot, the people of Sagbama-Ekeremor are sure to thumb their votes for the APC to carry the day in next week’s February 25 senatorial poll.
In a telephone chat with our correspondent, an elated Hon Wilson Ayakpo Dauyegha (WAD) who doubles as the incumbent deputy minority whip in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, dedicated his victory at the appellate court to God and the “impartial judges” who looked at the merit of the appeal to dismiss Senator Dickson’s case against him.
Hon. Dauyegha expressed delight that with the verdict, affirming that INEC still maintains his name and party logo on the ballot for the Bayelsa West Senatorial polling holding next week’s Saturday, as he urged his teeming supporters to troop out en masse on election day to cast their votes in favour of the APC at all levels.
In his words: “I thank God Almighty who has made this appeal successful. I appreciate the Appeal Court justices for their impartiality and for giving succour to the people as the last hope of the common man. I believe that even if my detractors decide to take the matter to the apex court, this verdict shall be sustained owing to the merit of my case as argued by my lawyers led by Barr. F.B. Olorogun, whom I am very thankful for and confident of his professional legal experiences to do justice to this matter.
“With this victory at the appellate court, the people of Bayelsa West District are happy that I am back on the ballot, not just to challenge the incumbent who is a former two-time governor that failed woefully for eight years and has blatantly jettisoned the same zoning agreement between the people of Sagbama-Ekeremor and wants to cause mischief and conflict between us. But the people are saying No Way! We stand by the gentleman zoning agreement and come poll day, we shall thumb for the Ekeremor candidate, which is myself and my party the APC,” Dauyegha said.
While urging the voters to come out on Election Day to vote the APC to the next level, Hon. Dauyegha assured the electorate of Sagbama-Ekeremor of effective representation at the Red Chambers of the National Assembly when he is voted into power come next week Saturday, February 25, 2023.
It will be recalled that a Yenagoa High Court had on New Year’s Day 2023 granted the prayers of the incumbent Senator Dickson to disqualify his main opponent for the Bayelsa West Senatorial poll, Hon. Wilson Ayakpo Dauyegha, over alleged irregularities in INEC’s documentation of the APC’s candidate’s details.
Hon. Dauyegha also known as WAD had immediately filed an appeal and was granted a reinstatement into the senatorial race on Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, February 14 2023, by the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt as being duly fit to contest the senatorial polls.
