Rivers: Supreme Court restores Wike’s victory

LEGAL tussle over Riv­ers State governorship seat was yesterday put to rest by a unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court, which upheld the election of Nye­som Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as governor.

The court, in a marathon session on the multiple ap­peals by Governor Wike, his political platform, the PDP, and the Independent National Electoral Com­mission (INEC), set aside the judgments of the Rivers State Governorship elec­tion tribunal and the Court of Appeal which nullified the election that brought in Wike as governor of the state.

Both courts had held that there was no election in Rivers State on April 11, 2015.

Dissatisfied, Wike, the PDP and INEC approached the apex court contesting the concurrent judgments on the grounds that it was erroneous in law.

They held that the reli­ance on the non-use of card reader as a basis to nullify the election was wrong.

Besides, the appellants, through their counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Em­manuel Ukala (SAN) and Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) respectively contended that even with the use of card reader, the respondents needed to have tendered voters’ registers to prove over voting and lack of ac­creditation.

They argued further that the respondents, Dr. Dakuku Peterside and his All Progressives Congress (APC) only tendered 11 copies of voters’ registers to challenge the entire elec­tion.

But, responding, counsel to Peterside and APC, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN) and Yusuf Ali (SAN) urged the court to discountenance the submissions of counsel to the appellants as they were misconceived.

They submitted that the appeals lacked merit and should be accordingly dis­missed. Olujimi submitted that the petition by his client was not based on card read­er alone but was also built on non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Besides, they relied on the evidence of INEC offi­cials who testified to the ef­fect that the April 11, elec­tion was marred by violence and a sham in urging the court to dismiss the appeals.

Delivering its judgment, the apex court, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Moham­med, held that the appeals had merit.

Justice Kekere-Ekun, who delivered the lead judgment, said detailed rea­sons would be adduced on February 12.

The Court of Appeal had, on December 16, 2015, af­firmed the judgment of the Rivers Governorship Elec­tion Tribunal.

The court had ruled that Mr. Wike was not validly elected.

The Rivers tribunal had earlier, on October 24, nul­lified Mr. Wike’s election

Then, tribunal, which de­livered its ruling in Abuja, also ordered that a fresh governorship election be conducted in the state.

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