The sacked Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has lost again at the Supreme Court in his bid to convince the court that the sitting of the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja was null and void.
The Supreme Court, this morning, threw out his argument that the Tribunal went against the law by conducting its sitting in Abuja.
The court disagreed with him, saying that the President of the Court of Appeal acted in line with the law, adding that the relocation of the tribunal to Abuja was to safeguard the lives of the tribunal chairman and members.
Wike had challenged the sitting of the tribunal in Abuja instead of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital at the apex court.
The court affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had earlier okayed the decision of the Tribunal to assume jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), has lauded the Nigerian Supreme Court on its decision to throw out the bid by Wike to declare the sitting of the Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja as being against the law.
“As a party, the APC is grateful that all seven eminent jurists of the Supreme Court unanimously agreed that there was sufficient violence before; during and after the elections to justify the relocation of the tribunal to Abuja and that the relocation of the tribunal to Abuja was to safeguard the lives of the tribunal chairman, members and witnesses. The apex court likened the violence in Rivers to that of a theatre of war such as is prevailing in the North-East.”
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone in Port Harcourt today, APC noted with delight that Justice Okoro from Akwa Ibom State not only concurred but went further to say that Rivers State was a theatre of war and as such protection of life and limbs of members of the panel and interested parties was paramount and thus relocation of the Panel imperative.
“The APC also commended the eminent Supreme Court Justices for once again re-affirming that they always dispense justice without fear or favour despite the frequent boasts by Nyesom Wike that he has all the Justices of the Supreme Court in his pocket, whatever that means.
“The significance of all seven eminent Justices of the Supreme Court speaking in one voice in today’s judgment according to the APC, is that the faith, hope and confidence of the ordinary Nigerian to get justice is assured in the Nigerian judicial system.” [myad]
