Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike Wednesday approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, urging it to set aside the ruling of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that ordered fresh governorship election in the state.
The Tribunal had a couple of weeks ago nullified the election of Wike in the April 11, 2015 governorship election and ordered INEC to conduct fresh poll.
Emmnauel Ukala, SAN, representing Governor Wike, in a notice of appeal dated November 3, raised 26 grounds he said the appellate court should consider in determining whether or not the verdict of the tribunal was anchored on the weight of evidence laid before it and sound interpretation of the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
The respondents in the appeal are the All Progressives Congress, APC, its governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
“Take notice that the Appellant, being dissatisfied with the decision of the Governorship Election Tribunal for Rivers State, sitting in Abuja, contained in the judgment of the tribunal coram Hon. Justice Suleiman Ambursa (chairman ), Hon. Justice Wesley Ibrahim Leha (member ) and Hon. Justice Bayo Taiwo (member) (sitting in Court no. 23 of the FCT High Court dated the 24th of October 2015), doth hereby appeal to the Court of Appeal upon the grounds set out in paragraph 3 and will at the hearing seek the reliefs set out in paragraph 4,” the notice read in part.
