How Deputy Governors Or DG Candidates Spoil The Groove For Their Principals
The Oasis Reporters
June 23, 2023
In September 2019, David Lyon emerged as the All Progressives Congress party’s gubernatorial candidate after contesting the Bayelsa State governorship primary election, a party he had decamped to in 2015.
Everything seemed to have been going well. There was a groundswell of support from stakeholders in Bayelsa state for his candidature, not because they loved the APC, but because they resented what the outgoing governor was doing to the principle of power shift in the state. So Peoples Democratic Party members trooped out in large numbers to vote for the APC.
And the PDP lost.
Meanwhile, see what may be loading in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial city.
It has now been proven beyond any reasonable doubt in court that Obafemi Hamzat violated Nigeria's electoral law by running for Deputy Governor of Lagos after swearing an oath allegiance to the USA while naturalising, and renouncing all allegiance to Nigeria.
— David Hundeyin (@DavidHundeyin) June 23, 2023
Over to the court. pic.twitter.com/LU1hFqQWR8
During the presidential election In Lagos State, February 25, 2023, in an unprecedented fashion, Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi swept the state. The rattled APC strategized for the governorship election with noises of accusations against the Labour Party candidate using unconstitutional points, innuendos, lies, internal modes of worship etc to intimidate certain supporters of the party and cause APC to retain the state.
APC won, because LP supporters had been tactically pushed into a seeming retreat.
Take a look at this tweet by Gbadebo Rhodes, the LP candidate.
Interesting times ahead.
— Babatunde Gbadamosi (@BOGbadams) June 22, 2023
Lagos State Deputy Governor renounced his Nigerian Citizenship to acquire American Citizenship and allegedly failed to renounce same before being sworn in as Deputy Governor.https://t.co/fz1UMNAMOS
Back to the Bayelsa story.
David Lyon of the APC, won the Bayelsa State 2019 governorship election.
But then, the Supreme Court was waiting. Less than 24 hours before being sworn-in, it sacked David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as governor-elect of Bayelsa State.
Mr Lyon, who won the November 2019 governorship election, was to be sworn in as governor on Friday.
A five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Mary Odili nullified the election of Mr Lyon on the grounds that his deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, presented false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in aid of his qualification for the November 16 governorship election in the state.
The apex court in the judgment delivered by Justice Ejembi Eko consequently ordered INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Messrs Lyon and Degi-Eremienyo.
The court also ordered that INEC should immediately declare the party with the highest number of lawful votes and geographical spread the winner of the election.
With the judgment of the apex court on Thursday, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Diri Duoye, was instead inaugurated as governor of Bayelsa State.
The PDP and its governorship candidate, Mr Diri, had filed a suit against Messrs Lyon and Degi-Eremienyo, and INEC, seeking the disqualification of the APC deputy governorship candidate.
They had claimed that Mr Degi-Eremienyo gave false information in his CF 0001 form submitted to INEC.
Back to Lagos.
What really is the deputy governor’s state of allegiance ?
BREAKING: At the Lagos State governorship Election Petition Tribunal, a U.S immigration officer testified that Lagos State Deputy Governor (Sanwo-Olu's running mate), took an Oath of Allegiance in America, to renounce his Nigerian citizenship, he then applied for naturalization.
— NEFERTITI (@firstladyship) June 22, 2023
That really is the talking point now in the state. Nigerians are watching, listening to the voice of the judiciary.
By Greg Abolo
gregabolo@gmail.com
Additional reporting:
Premium Times.
