The Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal has dismissed\u00a0 the
\npetition filed by the Rivers\u00a0 State Governorship Candidate of the
\nPeoples Progressive Party (PPP), Mr Clifford Edanuko against the
\nelection\u00a0 of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.<\/p>\n
Ruling on a motion filed by the Rivers State Governorship Candidate of
\nPPP, the Chairman of the Rivers State Governorship Tribunal on Tuesday,
\nJustice JA Orjiako dismissed\u00a0 the petition and confirmed Governor Wike
\nas the duly re-elected Governor of Rivers State.<\/p>\n
Justice Orjiako also agreed with counsel to the Independent National
\nElectoral Commission ( INEC), Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN), counsel to
\nGovernor Wike, Chief Okey Wali (SAN) and Counsel to PDP, Ken Njamanze
\n(SAN) that there were no illegal terms of withdrawal.<\/p>\n
The Tribunal ruled that Petition Number\u00a0 EPT\/RS\/GOV\/O5\/2015 stands
\ndismissed, following\u00a0 the motion on notice filed by the petitioner on
\n23rd July, 2019 for the discontinuation of the matter.<\/p>\n
Moving the motion for discontinuance, counsel to the petitioner, K.
\nOtehi\u00a0 said he had instruction of the petitioner to withdraw\u00a0 the
\npetition.<\/p>\n
In an affidavit filed before the Tribunal, he said that the petitioner
\nwithdrew\u00a0 the petition so that governance will flow without any
\ndistraction in Rivers State.<\/p>\n
He said: “We are\u00a0 all Rivers people.\u00a0 The petitioner is\u00a0 a Rivers man.
\nHe has looked at it and said let’s give peace a chance.\u00a0 The peace we
\nare enjoying in Rivers State today is what everyone is happy\u00a0 about.\u00a0 It
\nwill not serve the interest of the\u00a0 state to continue\u00a0 this legal
\ntussle”.<\/p>\n
Counsel to Rivers State Governor, Chief Okey Wali (SAN) said that it was
\ngracious of the petitioner to withdraw the petition because his
\npolitical party (PPP) is interested in the political stability of Rivers
\nState.<\/p>\n
In an interview, counsel to INEC, Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN) said that
\nall parties\u00a0 were in Court to adopt their written addresses, when the
\npetitioner announced his withdrawal of the petition. He said INEC did
\nnot oppose\u00a0 the withdrawal of the petition because it was in line with
\nits submission to the Tribunal.<\/p>\n
He said that the Tribunal was right to have dismissed the petition.<\/p>\n
Counsel to the PDP, Ken Njamanze (SAN) said that he believes that wise
\ncounsel prevailed, hence the petitioner\u00a0 resolved to withdraw\u00a0 the
\npetition.<\/p>\n
“We as respondents did not oppose that application and we believe that
\nit is a good development.\u00a0 It is good for the people of Rivers State to
\nmove forward\u00a0 peacefully “, he said.<\/p>\n
The Peoples Progressive Party had\u00a0 asked the Rivers State Governorship
\nElection Tribunal to nullify the Rivers State Governorship Election on
\nthe allegation that it was unlawfully excluded from the poll by INEC.
\nWith the dismissal of the PPP petition, only the petition filed by Mr
\nVictor Fingesi of ADP is yet to be determined by the Tribunal.<\/p>\n
It will\u00a0 be recalled that INEC declared Governor Wike re-elected after
\nhe polled\u00a0 886,264 votes, while his closest\u00a0 challenger of African
\nAlliance Congress (AAC) Biokpomabo Awara, scored 173,859 votes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal has dismissed\u00a0 the petition filed by the Rivers\u00a0 State Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Mr Clifford Edanuko against the election\u00a0 of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-news"],"yoast_head":"\n