The Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja, has struck out an application by Governor NYESOM WIKE, INEC and the PDP seeking to dismiss the petition seeking to sack Governor NYESOM WIKE from office.

The Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja, has struck out an application by Governor NYESOM WIKE, INEC and the PDP seeking to dismiss the petition  seeking to sack Governor NYESOM WIKE from office. ‎In a ruling, the Justice MUAZU PINDIGA-led tribunal held that the All Progressives Congress and its governorship candidate in the state, Doctor DAKUKU PETERSIDE, properly convoked a pre-hearing session on their case against WIKE.  The tribunal said it was not persuaded by contention of the Independent National Electoral Commission and WIKE that the case should be dismissed over failure of the petitioners to pay a mandatory one hundred naira fee for the convocation of the pre-hearing session. INEC had through its lawyer, K.O.C. NJEMANZE, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, sought the dismissal of the petition because it purportedly failed to comply with the provision of Paragraph 18 Subsection 1 of the First Schedule of the 2010 Electoral Act. Similarly, counsel to Governor  WIKE, EMMANUEL UKALA, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, relied on the case of Ihedioha vs Okorocha, arguing that the case be dismissed because of the petitioners’ alleged failure to properly apply for the pre-hearing session. Outside the courtroom, counsel to the Peoples’ Democratic Party in Rivers State, CHRIS UCHE, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said they may challenge the ruling in the Appeal  Court……
Also speaking on the limited time the tribunal has to conclude the petitions in view of the series of preliminary objections and applications, the PDP’s counsel, CHRIS UCHE blamed the petitioners.
The tribunal has fixed ruling on five fresh applications brought parties for Wednesday 19th August. Our Abuja correspondent JAMES IGAH reports that two of the applications came from the petitioners, while one was seeking the leave of the tribunal to direct INEC to move all electoral materials from Rivers State to Abuja. Reacting to this application, counsel to the APC and its candidate, AKIN OLUJIMI, who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has this to say: AKIN OLUJIMI is the counsel to the APC and its governorship candidate in the 2015 election in Rivers State, DAKUKU PETERSIDE.