Minister of state for petroleum resources Timipre Sylva has disclosed that David Lyon’s running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo whose disqualification over forgery led to the nullification of their election as Governor and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa state, is reportedly on the verge of committing suicide.
The former Governor of Bayelsa State disclosed this while appearing on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’. Lyon described the Supreme Court judgement which sacked David Lyon as Governor of Bayelsa State and also struck out his appeal for a review of the judgement, as a matter of life and death.
He revealed that he has taken it upon himself to always check on Degi-Eremienyo who has reportedly been traumatized over the court judgement. Lyon further insisted that the disqualified Deputy-Governor elect was not guilty of what he was accused of.
Lyon said;
“Anybody that says it is not a matter of life and death doesn’t really understand the issue.
“I’m today, dealing with a former deputy governor that is on the verge of committing suicide. Every day I have to call to be sure that he hasn’t done anything to himself.
“If you were here and somebody just said you forged your certificate, you built your life on that integrity and somebody–seven people, five people, all of a sudden bring everything down, that can actually lead to suicide.
“You’re now stigmatised for life as having forged your certificate.
“If you have a case in court challenging the authenticity of the certificate of a candidate, that is a different problem, but if you say you’re going to establish forgery and you have not heard from the person concerned, then you have not established anything.
“You haven’t gone to school or university where this person studied to confirm the veracity of the certificate and from paper evidence, you condemn such a person, it’s really very sad and for me, it is very dangerous.
“Forgery is supposed to be a criminal offence and when you have this kind of situation you have to come out and correct the impression. There was no forgery here at all. There were just variants of the name on the certificate and the Supreme Court went ahead to uphold the judgment of a lower court.”
Lyon who asked Bayelsans not to blame Degi-Eremienyo for Lyon’s removal, stated that the Supreme Court made a decision against the principles of justice.
He added;
“We are also saying that the Supreme Court has introduced extraneous things to that judgment. That judgment said that the deputy governor had been disqualified, but that judgment did not disqualify the governorship candidate.
“Supreme Court went ahead and disqualified the governorship candidate. Where did that come before the court because you don’t give what was not asked?
“We’re not saying that the Supreme Court erred, were saying that they overlooked certain things.”
