Rivers Governorship Election Tribunal Commences Pre-hearing

The Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal will tomorrow begin pre-hearing sessions on five separate petitions that were lodged against Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike before it.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate in the state, Chief Dakuku Peterside had on May 3, gone before the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the governorship election that was declared in favour of Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Joined as respondents were INEC, Wike and the PDP.
Aside APC and Peterside, four other governorship aspirants in the state also went before the tribunal to challenge the declaration of Governor Wike as the winner of the election. They are Mr. Charles Harry of All Progressives Grand Alliance, Tonye Princewill of the Labour Party, Kemka Elenwo of KOWA Party and Minaibim Harry of the Social Democratic Party.
They are separately praying the tribunal to nullify Wike’s victory on the premise that the election was not only fraught with manifest irregularities, but was conducted with total disregard to relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.
The Justice Pindiga-led tribunal had on June 11 granted an ex-parte order permitting the petitioners to personally or through their lawyers or forensic expert, inspect the electoral materials used for the poll.