*THROWS OUT APC’S APPLICATION FOR REVIEW OF BAYELSA GOVERNORSHIP
The Supreme Court on Wednesday descended on top legal luminaries, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) and Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), when it ordered the duo to pay N10 million each as cost for “wasting the time of the court”.
The judgement followed its throwing out of the appeals filed by Babalola and Olanipekun on behalf of Mr. David Lyon, the sacked former Governor-elect of Bayelsa State and his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.
A seven-man panel of the apex court led by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta described the applications filed by the APC and its governorship candidate as vexatious, frivolous, and constituted a gross abuse of court process.
Justice Amina Augie who read the lead judgment said the applications amount to an invitation for the apex court to sit in appeal on its earlier judgment in violation of the Constitution.
She held that it would amount to violating the finality of its judgment if the applications were granted.
She said granting the applications would open a floodgate for the review of decisions of the Supreme Court.
“There must be an end to litigation,” she said, adding, “the decision of the Supreme Court is final for ages in a matter” and only legislation could change it.
She said with tears in her eyes, she regretted that “very senior” lawyers were responsible for filing the applications.
The court ruled that each of the lawyers must pay the N10m to each of the three respondents – the Peoples Democratic Party, Governor Duoye Diri, and the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhruojakpo.
The Supreme Court had on February 13, 2020, overturned the victory of Mr. David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress and awarded the governorship to PDP’s Sen. Duoye Diri when it upheld a lower court’s ruling that Mr. Lyon’s Deputy Governor-elect had presented forged academic documents.
