The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has asked the Rivers State election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja to dismiss five petitions challenging the election of Governor Nyesom Wike. INEC also challenged the legality of the tribunal which, it argued, ought to conduct its proceedings in Rivers State in line with section 285(2) of the 1999 constitution, as amended.
INEC, through its counsel led by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, raised preliminary objection against the petitions which were lodged before the tribunal by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its governorship candidate in Rivers State, Mr. Dakuku Peterside. Aside APC and Peterside, four other governorship aspirants who are also at the tribunal challenging the declaration of Governor Wike as the winner of the election. They are Mr. Charles Harry of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Tonye Princewill of the Labour Party, Kemka Elenwo of KOWA Party and Minaibim Harry of the Social Democratic Party, SDP.
They are separately praying the tribunal to nullify Wike’s victory on the grounds that the election was not only fraught with irregularities, but was conducted with total disregard to relevant provisions of the Electoral Act. Meanwhile, challenging the competence of the petitions, INEC insisted that by virtue of section 285(2) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), under which the tribunal was established, “a tribunal sitting in Abuja cannot qualify as a tribunal established in Rivers State.”
INEC is further asking the tribunal to strike out the APC petition on the ground that some of the persons it alleged masterminded the rigging of election in Rivers State, among whom included wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, were not joined as parties to the suit. Respondents in the petitions are INEC, Governor Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
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