Era Of Manipulating Judiciary For Election Victory Over —Dickson

Yenagoa—Bayelsa State governor, Mr Seriake Dickson, yesterday said that the era of deceiving the judiciary to get judgments and electoral victories through the backdoor were over in Nigeria. He premised his optimism on the Supreme Court rulings in the governorship elections in Rivers, Abia and Akwa Ibom States.

Gov Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa Dickson had, while attributing his victory over the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate, Timipre Sylva in the recently concluded election to divine intervention, insisted that his opponent was relying on the judiciary to make him governor. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, in Yenagoa, Dickson said it would be foolhardy for anyone to think that he could upturn the decision of the people by manipulating the judicial process.


Expressing his readiness to face the APC at the Election Petition Tribunal, Dickson argued that there was enough evidence to counter all the issues raised in his opponent’s petition, “even though I am yet to be served.” Election into public offices, according to him, was all about the people and since they had spoken through their votes, it would be difficult for it to be upturned. Having won in seven out of the eight local government areas of Bayelsa State, Dickson said, he was not ready to comment on the case, as it would be tantamount to subjudice. He wondered the kind of magic the APC was expecting at the tribunal. Dickson said,

“I am very surprised that, instead of congratulating me and working with us to rebuild our state to move forward as a people, the APC candidate is being misled or is misleading others to think that the judiciary can be manipulated to upturn the popular will of the people.” “I believe that the recent judgment of the Supreme Court and the recent posture of the Supreme Court should make people to think twice. The message from the judiciary, now is that, those who want to be governors should win popular votes from their people.

“The message is that, you cannot lose an election, rejected by your people at the poll and then come through the back door to hoodwink the judiciary to give you a mandate that your people never gave you. If that message is lost on the Bayelsa APC and their candidate, who is going about compromising national institutions, then it’s unfortunate.” Shape up or be shipped out—Dickson warns Bayelsa workers Meanwhile, the governor dismissed as “mere speculation” the alleged plan by his administration to embark on mass retrenchment of workers from the state civil service, warning that workers should either brace up for the challenges in service or face the consequences of being treacherous and disloyal to service.