Supreme Court endorses Wike, Umahi elections in Rivers, Ebonyi States

ITRealms:

The Supreme Court on Wednesday endorsed the elections of Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party as governor of Rivers State and his counterpart of Ebonyi State, Mr. Dave Umahi, reports ITRealms.

The court, which gave its endorsement in separate rulings, however validated the April 11 governorship election in Rivers State and Ebonyi States.

The Supreme Court, ITRealms gathered, did not offer any reason for taking that stand with respect to Rivers State, but noted that details would be provided on February 12.

ITRealms notes that the Court of Appeal had on December 16, 2015 affirmed the judgment of the Rivers Governorship Election Tribunal, which ruled that Mr. Wike was not justifiably elected, following the Rivers Tribunal nullification of Mr. Wike’s election on October 24, 2015. 

The tribunal, which delivered its ruling in Abuja, also ordered that a fresh governorship election be conducted in the state.

In a related development, the Supreme Court in Abuja equally endorsed the election of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State as the duly elected governor.

In a judgment declared as ‘unanimous’ and read by Justice Centus Nweze, the apex court held that the appeal filed by the candidate of the Labour Party, Edward Nkwegu, challenging the election lacked merit, hence it fixed February 5, 2016 to enable it give reasons for dismissing the appeal.

 
Nenye Dom/GEE 
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