Four separate panels of the Rivers State National/State Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal nullified the elections of 20 seats won by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidates in the April 11, 2015 elections.
Among those whose elections were nullified was the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Owaji Ibani, representing Andoni constituency.
Other constituencies where the PDP candidates’ elections were nullified are Gokana, Eleme, Obio/Akpor I and II, Eleme, Etche II, Opobo/Nkoro, Akukutoru I and II, Asari Toru – and II, Bonny, Tai, ONELGA I, Degema, Khana Iand II, Port Harcourt II and Ikwerre.
The elections of the PDP candidates were upheld by the tribunals in 11 constituencies. These are Oyigbo, Etche I, Omuma, Ogu-Bolo, Port Harcourt I and III, ONELGA II, Abua/Odua, Ahoada West, Ahoada East II and Emuoha constituencies.
Earlier, the tribunal had upheld the election of the PDP candidate in Okrika constituency.
With Monday’s judgments, the tribunals have upheld the petitions of the All Progressives Congress and its candidates in 20 out of the total 32 constituency elections held on April 11, 2015.
It followed that the elections in the rest of the 12 constituencies are affirmed to have been won by the PDP.
The tribunal had on Saturday nullified the election of Governor Nyesom Wike of the PDP for being conducted in substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Both the governorship election and the House of Assembly elections were held on the same day.
Reacting to the judgement, the Rivers State chapter of the PDP and the APC disagreed over the nullification of elections in the 20 state constituencies.
While the state APC said that the nullification of elections in 20 out of the 32 state constituencies proved that the exercise in Rivers State did not substantially comply with the Electoral Act, the PDP maintained that the judiciary had shown bias in matters concerning Rivers State elections.
The state Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Mr. Chris Finebone, told one of our correspondents that though his party retained the only constituency (Eleme) it won in the House of Assembly, the tribunal’s nullification of 20 others were a welcome development.
“With the verdict today, the judiciary has further proven that it is the last hope of the common man. What I can say is that justice went both ways. The PDP retained its position in 12 constituencies while elections in 19 state constituencies were nullified.
“You know that the APC lawmaker representing Eleme State Constituency retained his position. Today’s ruling has disproved the claim by the PDP that the judiciary is biased. We had 20 victories, they (the PDP) had 12,” Finebone said.
But the state Assistant Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, told The PUNCH in a telephone interview that there was nothing to smile about because of the “special attention” given to Rivers.
Nwanosike said, “You can see that everybody is tired of the entire rulings. But Rivers State is a PDP state and our lawyers have been given the go ahead to commence the process of appealing the ruling against the PDP in the state.
“No amount of intimidation will take away the mandate given to us (the PDP) by the people. All over the country, the card reader failed and the Lagos State Election Petitions Tribunal upheld the election of the governor there without considering the non-usage of the card reader. But the reverse is the case in Rivers State.
“We are not interested in upholding 12 state constituencies and the nullification of 20 constituencies won by the PDP. If anybody goes outside the constitution to nullify our election, God will surely vindicate us.”
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Four separate panels of the Rivers State National/State Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal nullified the elections of 20 seats won by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidates in the April 11, 2015 elections.
Among those whose elections were nullified was the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Owaji Ibani, representing Andoni constituency.
Other constituencies where the PDP candidates’ elections were nullified are Gokana, Eleme, Obio/Akpor I and II, Eleme, Etche II, Opobo/Nkoro, Akukutoru I and II, Asari Toru – and II, Bonny, Tai, ONELGA I, Degema, Khana Iand II, Port Harcourt II and Ikwerre.
The elections of the PDP candidates were upheld by the tribunals in 11 constituencies. These are Oyigbo, Etche I, Omuma, Ogu-Bolo, Port Harcourt I and III, ONELGA II, Abua/Odua, Ahoada West, Ahoada East II and Emuoha constituencies.
Earlier, the tribunal had upheld the election of the PDP candidate in Okrika constituency.
With Monday’s judgments, the tribunals have upheld the petitions of the All Progressives Congress and its candidates in 20 out of the total 32 constituency elections held on April 11, 2015.
It followed that the elections in the rest of the 12 constituencies are affirmed to have been won by the PDP.
The tribunal had on Saturday nullified the election of Governor Nyesom Wike of the PDP for being conducted in substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Both the governorship election and the House of Assembly elections were held on the same day.
Reacting to the judgement, the Rivers State chapter of the PDP and the APC disagreed over the nullification of elections in the 20 state constituencies.
While the state APC said that the nullification of elections in 20 out of the 32 state constituencies proved that the exercise in Rivers State did not substantially comply with the Electoral Act, the PDP maintained that the judiciary had shown bias in matters concerning Rivers State elections.
The state Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Mr. Chris Finebone, told one of our correspondents that though his party retained the only constituency (Eleme) it won in the House of Assembly, the tribunal’s nullification of 20 others were a welcome development.
“With the verdict today, the judiciary has further proven that it is the last hope of the common man. What I can say is that justice went both ways. The PDP retained its position in 12 constituencies while elections in 19 state constituencies were nullified.
“You know that the APC lawmaker representing Eleme State Constituency retained his position. Today’s ruling has disproved the claim by the PDP that the judiciary is biased. We had 20 victories, they (the PDP) had 12,” Finebone said.
But the state Assistant Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, told The PUNCH in a telephone interview that there was nothing to smile about because of the “special attention” given to Rivers.
Nwanosike said, “You can see that everybody is tired of the entire rulings. But Rivers State is a PDP state and our lawyers have been given the go ahead to commence the process of appealing the ruling against the PDP in the state.
“No amount of intimidation will take away the mandate given to us (the PDP) by the people. All over the country, the card reader failed and the Lagos State Election Petitions Tribunal upheld the election of the governor there without considering the non-usage of the card reader. But the reverse is the case in Rivers State.
“We are not interested in upholding 12 state constituencies and the nullification of 20 constituencies won by the PDP. If anybody goes outside the constitution to nullify our election, God will surely vindicate us.”
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