Rivers gov’ship Tribunal: INEC, Wike, PDP urge panel to dismiss ADP’S petition

Lawyers to the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC), the Rivers State Governor,  Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) have asked  the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal to  dismiss  the petition filed by the defeated Governorship Candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Mr Victor Fingesi, because  the petitioner failed to lead evidence  to  prove  his  petition. 

Also, the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has reserved judgment in the petition  filed by the  defeated Governorship Candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Mr Victor Fingesi against the re-election of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.

Chairman of the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal,  Justice Kingsley Orjiako said that the Tribunal would  inform the parties when judgment would delivered.

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The Tribunal reserved  judgment  after all the parties adopted their final written addresses following  the hearing  of the petition.

INEC’s Lawyer,  Garba Tetengi in his final written  address  stressed that the Electoral Commission presented the accurate and authentic results.

He said that the 2019 Governorship Election  was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.  He noted that after the Collation of results,  Governor Wike emerged victorious.

Counsel to Governor Wike,  Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) in his final written  address urged the Tribunal  to dismiss  the petition because  the ADP Governorship Candidate failed to prove the three grounds on which his petition is premised upon.

Ukala told the Tribunal  that the petitioner failed to prove his case beyond reasonable  doubt as required by law.

Ukala said :  “One of the grounds requires he proved that illegal votes were credited to the winner of the election,  which the petitioner is asking the court There is nowhere  that the petitioner  showed that Governor Wike obtained illegal votes. He couldn’t show  that the results were not in line with the Electoral Act  and INEC guidelines.”

Ukala said that the petitioner  in line with the Supreme Court judgment ought to have called witnesses from the 4442 Polling Units  to prove that voting did  not hold.

He said: “The allegation of non compliance in voting process needed  to be proven beyond reasonable doubt . The Supreme court had already provided a standard of proving no voting and the petitioner would have called voters in each of the pulling units in the entire state.

“There are 4442  polling units in the governorship election, how many witnesses did they bring before the tribunal to prove their  petition as required by  law?  They brought only two witnesses , one from Okrika LGA  and the other from Etche LGA.  This  means they did not comply. It falls below  the standard of the law”.

The Counsel to Governor Wike said that the petitioner led no evidence  to prove that there were corrupt practices during the Governorship election.  He said the petitioner’s evidence  is lacking in  quality and quantity,  so should be  dismissed  by  the Tribunal.

Counsel  to  the PDP, Chief Godwin Obla said that the ADP failed to prove during  the hearing of  the petition   that the election  was marred by  irregularities.

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He said as long as  Collation of results  were carried out,  the petitioner has no locus standi to challenge the victory of Governor Wike.  He said that the petition should  be  dismissed.

He stated that the petitioner tendered certified true copies of the collated results for the 2019 Governorship election and made no attempt to prove that the results  were not the true  reflection of the election. He said that the petitioner failed  woefully to prove his case.

The Counsel to Governor Wike said that the petitioner led no evidence  to prove that there were corrupt practices during the Governorship election.  He said the petitioner’s evidence  is lacking in  quality and quantity,  so should be  dismissed  by  the Tribunal.

Counsel  to  the PDP, Chief Godwin Obla said that the ADP failed to prove during  the hearing of  the petition failed  to prove  that the election  was marred by  irregularities.

He said as long as  Collation of results  were carried,  the petitioner has no locus standi to challenge the victory of Governor Wike.  He said that the petition should  be  desmised.

He stated that the petitioner tendered certified true copies of the collated results for the 2019 Governorship election and made no attempt to prove that the results  were not the true  reflection of the election. He said that the petitioner failed  woefully to prove his case.