Despite S/Court sack as Bayelsa Dep Gov-elect, Degi still in Senate

Despite the Supreme Court judgement that disqualified Senator Biobarakuma Eremenyo-Degi, representing Bayelsa East senatorial district as deputy governor-elect during the last governorship election in his home Bayelsa State, the senator still holds sway in the red chambers.

Degi, who was the running mate to Chief David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the initial winner of the election, was disqualified for discrepancies and multiple names in his certificates submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The apex court’s judgement, however, affected the swearing-in of David Lyon as the fifth governor of the oil reach state, having run on the join-ticket with Degi.

The court, which accepted that Degi paraded forged credentials, also awarded the victory to the party with the second-highest votes during the election, which was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Senator Douye Diri.

Since then, there have been calls from some citizens of the senatorial district for Senator Eremenyo-Degi to resign from the Senate based on that judgement.

Degi of APC defeated PDP candidate Blessing Izagara during the March 2019 senatorial election in Bayelsa East senatorial district.

Before the senatorial election, Degi had contested and won as the chairman of Nembe Local Government Area of the state and has also served as a commissioner in the state.

However, APC chieftains in the district are also urging the senator to disregard the calls, as he will continue to enjoy the support of the people of the three local governments of Nembe, Ogbia and Brass which make up the senatorial district.

A pro-democracy advocate, Mr Wisdom Ikuli, said anybody in the senatorial district calling for the resignation of Senator Eremenyo-Degi was only trying to be mischievous.

Ikuli, a kinsman of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan from Ogbia local government, said though he is now a supporter of Governor Douye Diri, the fact that Degi and his party have paid dearly for the mistake, the same judgement should not affect his position in the Senate.

Also, a chieftain of PDP in Nembe local area, who preferred anonymity, said the fault may not be from Senator Degi but the culture and tradition of Nembe people in Bayelsa State, which after receiving a chieftaincy title, demand that the receiver of such title should add same to his original names.

He said going by the Supreme Court decision on the case of Degi, it means that several prominent citizens of Nembe kingdom who have received one chieftaincy title or the other could be disqualified from future electoral contest.

An APC faithful from Ogbia local government, Mr Einstein Oribo, also said there is no reason for Senator Degi to resign from his Senate seat, because the Supreme Court did not make such pronouncement.

He said the people of the senatorial district are solidly behind the senator having given him their mandate during the last general elections, adding that so far, Degi has shown capacity and commitment in representing the senatorial district.