Senator Duoye Diri has welcomed the Supreme Court ruling that reaffirmed his election as the governor of Bayelsa State.
The apex court in its verdict on Friday dismissed the appeal of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Timipre Sylva.
A five-member panel of the apex court headed by Justice Lawal Garba, on Friday affirmed the Court of Appeal decision of July 15 which deemed Sylva’s appeal as an abuse of Court process for filing two notices of appeal.
Speaking in Abuja after the apex court gave its verdict, Governor Diri said the victory was not for him or his deputy alone but also for the people of the state whose choice was validated by the courts.
“From the election and the tribunal to the Supreme Court, we won four-zero. This is the triumph of truth over falsehood and evil. There is hope for democracy in Nigeria,” he said.
To Diri, his victories at the courts have renewed his hope in the judiciary and in democracy.
The governor said that no matter the level of hardship in the country, the forthrightness of the judiciary has given him assurance that there is light at the end of the tunnel, calling on Nigerians to be hopeful for a better country.
“This victory is not for me. It is not for the deputy governor. It is for the people of the state. We have started on a good ground, and we will not disappoint our people. We will even introduce new programmes that will benefit our people,” Diri stated.
