Appeal Court Sacks Gov. Wike, Orders Fresh Election In Rivers

The three-man Court of Appeal panel sitting in Abuja has struck out
the appeal of Nyesom Wike seeking a dismissal of the judgment of the
Rivers election petition tribunal which sacked him as governor of the
state.

In a 110-page ruling delivered by Justice M.B. Dongban-Mensem, the
Court ruled that the election of Nyesom Wike did not conform with the
electoral act.

The Court has ordered a rerun in 90 days.

In delivering a final ruling the Court of Appeal decided all the seven
issues raised by Governor Wike against in favour of Dakuku Peterside
and the All Progressives Congress party.
Recall that on Saturday, October 24, the tribunal had held that Wike
was not duly elected governor of Rivers‎ state.

It ruled that a fresh election be held in the state within 90 days.

But Wike appealed against the judgment, insisting that he was duly
elected governor of the state‎.
He asked the appellate court to set aside the judgment of the
tribunal, arguing that‎ the lower court failed to consider the
evidence – that a proper election took place in Rivers state on April
11 – tendered before it.
Wike had previously gone to the supreme court to challenge the
jurisdiction of the tribunal, which sacked him. His main argument at
the apex court was that the tribunal should have sat in Rivers state
and not in Abuja.

But the supreme court dismissed his suit for lacking in merit‎, ruling
that the tribunal – owing to security reasons – was right to have
relocated to Abuja to sit in judgment on the petition of Dakuku
Peterside, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the
April 11 governorship election in Rivers state.

-Vanguard