Supreme Court affirms Fubara as Rivers Governor

 

 

The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Siminalayi Fubara as governor of Rivers State.

 

The victory came amid a face-off with his predecessor and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike. 

 

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 elections in Rivers State, Patrick Tonye-Cole, had challenged Fubara’s victory in the poll after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him as the winner of the election.

 

However, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court upheld Fubara’s election victory which had earlier been affirmed by two lower courts.

 

The panel in the lead judgment delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa affirmed Fubara’s election shortly after it dismissed the appeal by Tonye-Cole for being incompetent and lacking in merit.

 

According to Saulawa, the appellant did not prove his allegations of over-voting, non-compliance as well as non-qualification of Fubara to contest the election.

 

“This appeal is grossly lacking in merit and liable to be dismissed and it is accordingly dismissed”, Justice Saulawa held.

 

Fubara’s victory at the apex court may embolden him to move against his erstwhile political godfather, Wike