Wike vs Peterside: Tribunal to decide winner of Rivers poll

The Rivers state governorship Election Petitions Tribunal will this month, October, deliver judgment in the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside against Governor Nyesome Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the Tribunal, the fate of the duo will be decided before October 29, The Nation reports.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Tribunal Chairman Justice Mohammed Ambrosa, who urged both parties to submit their final written addresses, scheduled to be adopted on October 22, before the expiration of the time.

Speaking yesterday, October 13, in Abuja, Ambrosa gave the petitioners three days and each respondent four days to prepare and file their final written address. This came just after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s lawyer Gordy Uche (SAN) had declared the closure of his client’s case without calling a witness.

According to Ambrosa, the 180 days, within which the tribunal must determine the petition, would lapse on October 29. He noted that a day before October 29 would be fixed for the judgment.

Dakuku Peterside, the APC governorship candidate in April 11, 2015 election in Rivers state, had on September 16, alleged that no election took place in the state.

Peterside made this disclosure while testifying before the state governorship election tribunal in Abuja.

He said though he casted his vote at Opobo/Nkoro local government but moment afterward, suspected hoodlums carted away election materials.

Governor Nyesome Wike of the PDP and Dr. Dakuku Peterside of the APC.

The APC governorship candidate later tendered some documents as exhibit before the tribunal. The documents include manual of electoral officials, reports of international observers and result sheets.

Peterside expressed his confidence that the tribunal ruling will do justice to the petition so that the Rivers people can once again work as one.

Synchronizing this assertion, Peterside lawyer, Akin Olujinmi (SAN) alleged that what happened on April 11 in the state was mere allocation of votes by Independent National Electoral Commission to the candidate of the PDP, Governor Nyesom Wike.

Officers from the Nigerian army had also testified before the Justice Suleman Ambrosa-led tribunal insisting that the April 11 gubernatorial poll did not hold in the state as claimed by the INEC, the state governor and INEC.

The three army officers who testified maintained that the election did not hold in virtually all the polling centres assigned to them to provide security.