ABUJA—Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, yesterday, went before the Court of Appeal in Abuja, to challenge the judgement of the state’s Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, that nullified the outcome of the April 11 governorship poll that brought him to power.
Wike is praying the appellate court to set aside the verdict that was delivered against him by the Justice Ambrosa Suleiman-led tribunal on October 24, on the premise that it was “perverse and legally defective.”In the notice of appeal dated November 3, which Wike filed through his lead counsel, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, he raised 26 grounds he said the appellate court should consider in determining whether or not the verdict of the tribunal was anchored on the weight of evidence laid before it and sound interpretation of the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
Wike told the appellate court that he was dissatisfied with the entire judgement of the lower tribunal.Cited as respondents in the appeal were the All Progressives Congress, APC, its governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The notice of appeal which was sighted by Vanguard yesterday, read: “Take notice that the Appellant, being dissatisfied with the decision of the Governorship Election Tribunal for Rivers State, sitting in Abuja, contained in the judgment of the tribunal coram Hon. Justice Suleiman Ambursa (chairman ), Hon. Justice Wesley Ibrahim Leha (member ) and Hon. Justice Bayo Taiwo (member) (sitting in Court no. 23 of the FCT High Court dated the 24th of October 2015), doth hereby appeal to the Court of Appeal upon the grounds set out in paragraph 3 and will at the hearing seek the reliefs set out in paragraph 4.”
Specifically, Wike prayed the appellate court to allow his appeal and issue an order setting aside the judgment/ decision of the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal.Besides, he urged the appellate court for an order, “striking out or dismissing the election petition filed on May 3, 2015, by Mr. Dakuku Peterside and the APC.”
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