Dickson Has Case to Answer, Appeal Court Rules
Seriake Dickson
Onungwe Obe in Yenagoa
The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt yesterday overturned the ruling of a Federal High Court in Yenagoa that dismissed a pre-election suit challenging the eligibility of former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, to contest the December 5, 2020, Bayelsa West senatorial by-election.
The three-man appeal panel led by Hon. Justice U. Onyemenam, said that the Federal High Court in Yenagoa erred when it refused to hear the suit filed against Dickson’s eligibility to contest the election on the grounds that the suit was filed out of time and therefore statute-barred.
The Appeal Court consequently ordered that the suit filed by Eneoriekumoh Owoupele, be retried on its merit by the high court.
But Senator Dickson has vowed to challenge the Appeal Court judgment at the Supreme Court.
According to a press statement issued by media aide, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, Dickson has instructed his lawyers already to file an appeal at the Supreme Court.
The Court of Appeal had held that Owoupele’s suit was filed within time against the lower court’s position that it was statute barred as it was filed four days outside of time.
The plaintiff is seeking to challenge the authenticity of the name that Dickson adopted to contest the election.
But Disckson said he would not yield to blackmail as the matter was frivolous, vexatious and attention seeking.
The senator who said that he had confidence in the Judicial system, added that the law would take its course at the
