•2019 poll: Rivers Governorship Tribunal reserves judgment for ADP’S Petition Against the Re-election of Governor Wike
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.
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Chairman of the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal, Justice Kingsley Orjiako said that the Tribunal would inform the parties when judgment would delivered.
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.
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 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.
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.
