Mixed feelings as Bayelsans, analysts react to Supreme Court’s judgment nullifying Lyon’s election

Political analysts and social commentators have described the Supreme Court judgement nullifying the election of Bayelsa State governor-elect, David Lyon and his running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, as another sad day of mourning.

Chief David Lyon was to be sworn-in on Friday, as the winner of the November 16, 2019 gubernatorial election.
But a five-man panel of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Mary Peter-Odili, on Thursday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to the All Progressives Congress’ candidates as the winners of the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the State.

The apex court immediately ordered INEC to issue fresh certificates to the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which has the next highest votes and required constitutional spread of votes in the results of the election.
According to a Political analyst, Comrade Wisdom Ikuli, the development is a sad one and very pathetic for Bayelsans; the judiciary that claims to be the hope of the ordinary man has suddenly become a nightmare.
He submitted that this was another national mourning for the state, adding that the judgement is a subvention of the will of the people.

Ikuli said,” Its a sad one, even though it was a joint ticket when something happens to one we believe there should be room for substitution. We all have different interpretations. You can see the mood of Bayelsans. This is another day of mourning in the state. The judiciary is not helping the ordinary man.”
In his reaction, another social commentators, Hon. Einstein Orubo, said,” Well, for now we will stick with the supreme court judgement. There’s a lot of ways to go about it. For the interest of the state, everybody must be at peace; those that supposedly won from the judgement should also be peaceful.
“Then those on this other side should be peaceful, we all have one interest which is Bayelsans and we must protect that. There’s need to avoid violence in time like this.

“The supreme court is the apex court and has to be obeyed but the legal team of the party will sit and come up with something.”
When we, went round Yenagoa, the capital city, to get feelers from residents, the mood was obviously mixed.
Meanwhile, there was wild jubilation in the Bayelsa State Government house immediately the news filtered into town.