RIVERS: Supreme Court Reserves Judgment On Fubara’s Election In Tonye-Cole’s Appeal

The Supreme Court has reserved judgment on the election victory of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, as challenged by Patrick Tonye-Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

THE WHISTLER recalls that the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos State had affirmed Fubara’s victory, saying he was duly sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Tonye-Cole had maintained that as of the March 18 governorship election, Fubara did not resign as Rivers State Accountant General contrary to relevant laws of the land.

But the appeal court dismissed the case and aligned with the Rivers State Tribunal which described Cole’s petition as lacking in merit and failing to prove that Fubara was not qualified to contest.

The tribunal also observed that the Rivers APC faction that sponsored Cole had withdrawn the petition against Fubara’s victory.

Dissatisfied with the concurrent verdicts of the court below, the APC candidate approached the apex court for redress.

Tonye-Cole’s lawyer, Jibril Okutepa, insisted that Fubara contravened electoral laws based on his previous arguments at the court below.

He urged the five-member panel of the apex court chaired by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun to set aside the judgements of the lower courts and sack Fubara.

On their part, the governor’s legal team led by Emmanuel Ukala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, urged the apex court to uphold his client’s election in line with the concurrent findings of the courts below.

Subsequently, the apex court reserved judgment in the case.

At the same proceedings, the Allied People’s Movement’s (APM) counsel, Innocent Kere, voluntarily withdrew the party’s case.

As a result, it was dismissed by the apex court.