Tribunal Nullifies Wike's Election, Orders Fresh Poll
Wike: I will appeal
APC: It’s a deadly blow to impunity and
hooliganism
Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
The Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal
sitting in Abuja has nullified the April 11, 2015
electtion which returned Governor Nyesom Wike of
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner.
The Justice Suleiman Ambrosa led-tribunal in its
verdict saturday also ordered the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a
fresh election within 90 days.
The tribunal in its ruling stated that the characters
of voters called by Wike were impugned under
cross-examination and that it agreed that the
evidence of the witnesses of Wike and INEC was
incredible and unreliable.
Noting that it was satisfied that the petitioners had
proved their case beyond doubt, the tribunal
consequently ordered INEC to conduct fresh
elections within 90 days.
In a swift reaction to the tribunal judgement,
Governor Wike said he would appeal the tribunal
verdict. Announcing the intention of the governor to
challenge the verdict, counsel to PDP, Mr. Chris
Uche (SAN), said machinery had been set in motion
to challenge the judgment and that Wike remains
governor until the appeal processes are exhausted.
He said: “By virtue of section 143 of the Electoral
Act, our candidate, the governor, will remain in
office until this matter has gone the whole hog to
the Supreme Court.
He said the nature of the judgment delivered by
Justice Ambrosa-led tribunal made appeal vital as
the new position adopted by the tribunal must be
tested in the interest of justice.
Uche noted that the tribunal's reliance on card
reader accreditation to nullify the governorship
election, when evidence was led by both the
respondents and the petitioners that both card
reader and manual accreditation were used for the
election, needed to be tested at the Court of
Appeal.
The All Progressive Congress (APC) has however
described the judgement as a “deadly body blow to
impunity and hooliganism.”
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the judgement
had shown clearly that the era of impunity and
hooliganism was over, and that the only way for
elections to have legitimacy is for them to be free,
fair and credible.
''What has come across from this judgement is that
there is no shortcut to free, fair and credible
elections. This is part of the wind of change that is
blowing across the land and touching all arms of
government under the Administration of President
Muhammadu Buhari.
''Elections are about the expression of the will of
the people, and they must always be free to
express themselves, irrespective of what some
desperate politicians may feel,'' it said.
APC and its governorship candidate, Hon. Dakuku
Peterside, had challenged the outcome of the result
that declared Wike winner, alleging widespread
electoral malpractices.
