Former Governor Serikae Dickson is set to clinch the Bayelsa West Senate seat after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) removed his closest rival and challenger from the All Progressives Congress (APC) upon a court order.
Dickson is the candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the election due on December 5, 2020 to replace the seat vacated by the incumbent deputy governor of the state.
The name of the APC candidate, Chief Peremobowei Ebebi was conspicuously absent among the 12 candidates displayed by the commission in its office for the election on Thursday.
Mr. Wilfred Ifogah, INEC’s Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Wilfred Ifogah, said the removal was in compliance with the Federal High Court judgement in suits No FHC/YAN/CS/ 60/2020 and FHC/YAN/CS/ 66/2020 which charged INEC from including the name and logo of the candidate of APC in Bayelsa West senatorial district, Chief Peremobowei Ebebi.
It could be recalled that the presiding judge, Justice Jane Inyang, had in a judgment on a case of forgery filed by Richman Samuel, a former Director of Domestic Matters, Government House, Yenagoa, upheld the plaintiff’s prayers and declared the APC candidate ineligible to contest.
The plaintiff contended that the academic credentials and voter’s card, which the defendant submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the by-election, were forged documents.
Ebebi, who is a former deputy governor, emerged the APC candidate in a direct primary conducted in September by primary electoral committee headed by General Abdulsalam Dahiru (retd.)
