Nyesom Wike Appeals Tribunal Judgment That Nullified His Election As Governor

Lawyer to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chris Uche SAN says Nyesom Wike will appeal this tribunal judgment nullifying his election as Governor of Rivers.

The Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja nullified the election of Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party as the Governor of Rivers State, on grounds that his election did not comply with electoral guidelines.

Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Suleiman Ambrosa , has ordered INEC to conduct fresh elections in the state within 90 days of the ruling.

The petition challenging Mr. Wike’s victory was filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Mr. Dakuku Peterside.

In the 2hrs. 8mins judgment delivered in Abuja, the tribunal agreed that the evidence provided by the witnesses called by the respondent and INEC is incredible and unreliable.

The petitioner, had argued that the elections were marred by unauthenticated alterations in forms EC8A, issuance of ballot papers in excess of 100 leaves per booklet, one PDP collation agent signing for several wards, presiding officer signing for party agents, voter signing for party agent and absence of collation at ward collation centers and many more.

Counsel to the petitioners, Chief Akin Olujimi, also argued that the resort to manual accreditation lacked legal justification when INEC had directed that card readers should be exclusively used for accreditation.