Disqualification: Appeal Court rules against Dickson, orders retrial

The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has on Thursday, nullified the decision of the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa which exonerated the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson from a disqualification suit brought before it.

The Yenagoa court, presided over by Justice J. Inyang, had dismissed the case as lacking in merit.

The Appeal Court, however, agreed with the appellant, faulting the judgement of the first instance court and held that the lower court dismissed the matter in error.

The petitioner, Mr. Owoupele Eneoriekumoh, had approached the Appeal Court and asked it to set aside the ruling of the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa.

Mr. Eneoriekumoh asked the court to disqualify Dickson and remove him from the Senate.

Ruling, the appellate court held that Senator Dickson has a case to answer in the suit seeking to disqualify him from contesting the concluded Bayelsa West Senatorial election.

A three-man panel of the court, presided over by Justice U. Onyemenam, disagreed with the Federal High Court and ordered the suit to be reassigned to another Court.

Dickson has been sworn in at the National Assembly to represent Bayelsa West Senatorial District.