Victorious Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri and Mr ‘Timi Alaibe
Mr Ndutimi Alaibe, former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and governorship aspirant in the September 3, 2019, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has finally made peace with the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri following the Supreme Court ruling, which affirmed Diri as substantive governor of the state.
Alaibe who has sent his congratulatory message to the governor said he has also acknowledged Diri as the elected governor of Bayelsa State. Alaibe, a front-line aspirant in the PDP, had dragged Diri, his party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court over what he insisted was a ‘flawed process’ that produced Diri as the party’s candidate.
He had lost both at the Federal High Court and the Appeal Court and his appeal at the Supreme Court was dismissed following its withdrawal by his counsel, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe, after the chairman of the panel of justices, Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour ruled that the appeal cannot be classified as a pre-election matter but internal party affair, which the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain.
Alaibe, in a statement issued by his personal assistant, Ogio Enize, said that ‘while our supporters may feel justifiably disappointed by the outcome of the case based on the supremacy of the Supreme Court’s pronouncement, we have accepted it in good faith, however painful.’
He said, “We feel justified that from the trial court to the apex court, the repulsive processes that led to the primary were never endorsed by any of the courts.” Alaibe, who noted that in spite of the outcome of the case, “we feel satisfied by our action because when criminality is ignored or allowed to continue unchallenged those responsible for such actions and even the uninformed observers could accept it as a way of life.” He also appealed for calm from his supporters.
