The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed an application filed by a faction of the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP) seeking to be joined as parties in the appeal filed by Duoye Diri challenging the nullification of Bayelsa governorship election.

At the court session on Monday, Dominic Anyador who represented a faction of the ANDP moved an application seeking to be joined as a party in the suit.

The applicants are James Femowei (chairman), Barnabas Nwanguma (national vice-chairman south-east), Fortune Oyadonghan (national publicity secretary) Fred Ikhaghu (national director NGO/volunteers) Linda Nyam (director admin/records).

Ruling on the application, a three-man panel of justices led by Stephen Adah dismissed the request for joinder deeming it utterly irrelevant.

The court also ordered the applicants to pay N200,000 to each of the three respondents in the application.

The applicants submitted that they were unaware of the petition challenging Duoye Diri's election as the party had adopted and endorsed him and his deputy Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.

Galaxy's Godfrey Eshiemoghie reports that the Appeal Court has fixed 23rd September as the date to commence hearing on the main appeal by Diri of the PDP seeking to upturn a majority decision by an election petition tribunal granting the appeal of the ANDP bordering on wrongful exclusion by INEC in the 16 November 2019 Bayelsa governorship election.