Alaibe asks court to void Bayelsa PDP primary poll – TheNigerialawyer

A former Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission
(NDDC), Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, has asked the court to invalidate the
primary election that produced Senator Douye Diri as the candidate
of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November governorship
election I Bayelsa State.

Alaibe, who participated as an aspirant in the primary poll,
complained that he was brazenly robbed of victory through flawed
electoral processes.

Defendants in the suit are the PDP, Diri, the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Embeleakpo Alale for
himself and representing the elected local government chairmen,
vice-chairmen and councillors of the PDP allowed to be delegates at
the elective state congress of the party held on September 3.

Also joined in the suit as defendant is Doubra Kumokou, for
himself and on behalf of the three Ad-Hoc Delegates allowed to be
delegates at the elective State Congress.

Alaibe in the suit filed at the Federal High Court sitting in
Yenagoa, the state capital, demanded the cancellation of the result
of the primary election based on procedural flaws.

The suit sought answers to questions bordering on alleged
non-adherence to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2010, the PDP Constitution and Election
Guidelines, by the State Chapter of the party in the conduct of the
ward congresses, inclusion of local government council officials in
the delegates list and the procedure for inclusion of three ad-hoc
delegates.

Citing specific sections of relevant laws and guidelines, Alaibe
asked the court to examine the entire processes that resulted in
the primaries and rule in his favour.

Prior to the conduct of the primaries, the Timi Alaibe Campaign
Organisation raised objections against what it described as gross
disrespect for legal procedures and party guidelines.

Specifically, the Campaign Organisation protested the inclusion
of the newly-elected council chairmen, vice-chairmen and
councillors in the delegates list contrary to the provisions of the
PDP Constitution.

It also objected to the manner in which electoral and returning
officers were picked to allegedly favour aspirants endorsed by the
leadership of the party in the state and the manner the 315 ad-hoc
delegates were directed to vote contrary to already established
judicial precedents, among other issues.

Alaibe in the suit wants the court to determine whether the
pre-election actions and inactions of the defendants satisfied
conditions specified in relevant sections of Nigeria’s
Constitution, the Electoral Acts and certain sections of the PDP
Constitution.

He prayers that the entire processes be declared
unconstitutional and the declaration of Senator Diri as the winner
be invalidated having failed to comply with relevant sections of
the laws governing such processes.

He also sought an order setting aside the purported submission
of Senator Diri’s name to INEC by the PDP as its candidate in the
governorship election coming up on November 16, 2019 in view of the
several legal and procedural infractions cited.

He asked the court order the conduct of fresh primary elections
for the nomination and sponsorship of the candidate for the
governorship election in Bayelsa.