Hearing of the petition filed by the APC and its governorship candidate in Rivers State, DAKUKU PETERSIDE, suffered a setback today at the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

Hearing of the petition filed by the APC and its governorship candidate in Rivers State, DAKUKU PETERSIDE, suffered a setback today at the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Abuja. The Tribunal resumed sitting yesterday to continue hearing on the petition challenging the election of Governor NYESOM WIKE, but counsel to the respondents, including the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission, filed a motion for stay of proceedings. In the motion, the respondents drew the attention of the Tribunal to a ruling by the Court of Appeal over the weekend, in which it directed the tribunal to give its verdict on three pending motions. 

Following the development; the Chairman of the Tribunal approved a short adjournment to reconvene tomorrow, before which the panel would have studied the Court of Appeal ruling and make a decision. Speaking after the proceedings; counsel to the APC, AKIN OLUJIMI dismissed speculations that the development could affect the entirety of the case. Correspondent JAMES IGAH reports the APC and its governorship candidate, DAKUKU PETERSIDE have so far called in twenty-two witnesses out of about two hundred to support their petition, as has eleven days left to conclude their case. 

Meanwhile, the Rivers state Governor has pledged to continue in his effort to improve the lives of the people of the state. Governor WIKE stated this during his maiden address to mark his one hundred days in office. The Governor who highlighted some of his achievements in his first hundred days, renewed his plan to serve the state with more commitment to achieve desired result.