Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Dakuku and Wike: another judgment day coming

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, will know whether he would remain the governor next Tuesday as the Court of Appeal will deliver judgment on his appeal.

The appellate court, sitting in Abuja, will determine whether Wike’s appeal which seeks to upturn the ruling of the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that nullified his election as governor, erred in law or not.

Wike wants the Court of Appeal to declare the ruling of the lower Tribunal a nullity and consequently dismissed. He was challenged by the APC candidate, Dakuku Peterside, who argued that the election was marred by widespread irregularities and violence.

However, Wike, even before the expected ruling of next Tuesday, has directed his legal team to prepare to file an appeal with the Supreme Court. The apex court is the last arbiter in governorship petition in Nigeria.

Wike’s fear,it was gathered, stemmed from the gale of losses his party men in the National Assembly suffered. Fourteen members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who were declared winners of the March 28 National Assembly election in Rivers State, had their elections nullified. Only one member of the House of representatives Uche Nnam Obi of Ahoada West//Egbeama/Ndoni Federal Constituency survived, because the APC challenger was not qualified to contest against him in the first instance.

A re-run election to be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was ordered by the Appeal Court within 60 days from the date of the rulings.