The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the judgement of the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which nullified the election of Nyesom Wike as governor of the state, Punch reports.
Advertisement
Dakuku Peterside of the All Progressives Congress had challenged his election on grounds that it did not conform with electoral rules and was replete with a lot of malpractices.
The appeal court has upheld the ruling of the tribunal, therefore, Governor Nyesom Wike’s election stands nullified.
Wike took to the Court of Appeal to contest the decision of the tribunal stating that he was legitimately elected governor of the state.
Governor Wike, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) predicated his appeal on seven grounds.
After the tribunal’s ruling, the governor headed to the Court of Appeal, saying the judgment was untenable.
At the hearing on Wednesday, one after the other, the five man appeal panel knocked out the grounds of appeal saying Mr Wike was never validly elected as the Governor of Rivers State.
He assured the people of the state that he would use all constitutional processes to protect the mandate they freely bestowed on him, hence his decision to approach the Supreme Court for further adjudication.
Advertisement
His main argument at the apex court was that the tribunal should have sat in Rivers state and not in Abuja.
