Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has stated that the outcome
of the litigation on the Rivers East Senatorial District seat “has
opened our eyes ahead of 2019.”
Wike also lampooned the leadership of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), saying they applaud the judiciary only when they
win cases but launch campaigns of calumny against them if judgment
goes to other candidates.
He noted that the outcome of the case has confirmed the alarm he
raised ahead of the rerun election that the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) and Police were in partnership to rig
elections in the state.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja had last Thursday upheld the
judgment of the Rivers State National and State Elections Petitions
Tribunal, which sacked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator
representing Rivers East in the Senate, George Sekibo.
The tribunal had in its judgment delivered on June 29, ordered
INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Sekibo and
directed that a fresh one be issued to Mr. Andrew Uchendu of the
APC as the duly elected senator for Rivers East.
Delivering the lead judgment in the appeal by Sekibo challenging
the tribunal’s judgment, Justice Adamu Jauro, held that the
petition filed by the sacked senator lacked merit.
Wike, while speaking yesterday during a stakeholders’ meeting
with leaders of Okirika and Ogu-Bolo local government areas at the
Government House, Port Harcourt, noted that APC did not accuse the
judiciary of corruption because they won the case.
He said: “Now that we have lost, nobody is saying that the
judiciary is corrupt. They are not saying that the judiciary is
corrupt because they have won. Tomorrow, if we win, they will say
judiciary is corrupt. Then, they will send security operatives to
arrest the judges. Nobody will bother to go now and arrest the
judges to find out what happened.”
The Governor stated that when the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN)
visited the state to flag off the construction of the State Judges’
Quarters, the APC went to town claiming that the PDP would procure
all judgments at the courts.
He noted: “But now, you will not see them claiming that the
judgment was procured. I urge you to continue to have confidence in
the judiciary.”
Wike alleged that the Police colluded with APC to tender
concocted results at the tribunal, which was relied upon to sack
Sekibo.
He added: “Remember that last year, I raised an alarm that INEC
and Police were planning to rig the rerun elections. We caught
people printing INEC result sheets and reported the matter.
Somebody was arrested. They sent the person to Zone 6, Calabar, and
granted him bail. Till now, they are yet to complete investigations
into that critical matter.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has stated that the outcome
of the litigation on the Rivers East Senatorial District seat “has
opened our eyes ahead of 2019.”
Wike also lampooned the leadership of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), saying they applaud the judiciary only when they
win cases but launch campaigns of calumny against them if judgment
goes to other candidates.
He noted that the outcome of the case has confirmed the alarm he
raised ahead of the rerun election that the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) and Police were in partnership to rig
elections in the state.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja had last Thursday upheld the
judgment of the Rivers State National and State Elections Petitions
Tribunal, which sacked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator
representing Rivers East in the Senate, George Sekibo.
The tribunal had in its judgment delivered on June 29, ordered
INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Sekibo and
directed that a fresh one be issued to Mr. Andrew Uchendu of the
APC as the duly elected senator for Rivers East.
Delivering the lead judgment in the appeal by Sekibo challenging
the tribunal’s judgment, Justice Adamu Jauro, held that the
petition filed by the sacked senator lacked merit.
Wike, while speaking yesterday during a stakeholders’ meeting
with leaders of Okirika and Ogu-Bolo local government areas at the
Government House, Port Harcourt, noted that APC did not accuse the
judiciary of corruption because they won the case.
He said: “Now that we have lost, nobody is saying that the
judiciary is corrupt. They are not saying that the judiciary is
corrupt because they have won. Tomorrow, if we win, they will say
judiciary is corrupt. Then, they will send security operatives to
arrest the judges. Nobody will bother to go now and arrest the
judges to find out what happened.”
The Governor stated that when the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN)
visited the state to flag off the construction of the State Judges’
Quarters, the APC went to town claiming that the PDP would procure
all judgments at the courts.
He noted: “But now, you will not see them claiming that the
judgment was procured. I urge you to continue to have confidence in
the judiciary.”
Wike alleged that the Police colluded with APC to tender
concocted results at the tribunal, which was relied upon to sack
Sekibo.
He added: “Remember that last year, I raised an alarm that INEC
and Police were planning to rig the rerun elections. We caught
people printing INEC result sheets and reported the matter.
Somebody was arrested. They sent the person to Zone 6, Calabar, and
granted him bail. Till now, they are yet to complete investigations
into that critical matter.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/2019-sekibos-sack-has-opened-our-eyes-wike/