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Tag: Wike

  • Wike, Peterside: What next?

    Wike, Peterside: What next?

     Analysis

    The anxiety is not over in Rivers State. The suspense continues over the next 180 days, at the least. According to the Electoral Act (amended), governorship litigations can go through the tribunal, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Under the old dispensation, once a governorship petition was heard by the tribunal, the Court of Appeal was the next and final arbiter.

    Yesterday’s verdict on the disputed governorship election has confirmed the popular feeling that the electoral battle will always shift from the ballot box to the court in states where contestants are too desperate for power. Unless there is a stiff penalty for rigging in the electoral law, or the punishment for rigging is vigorously enforced, the Rivers’ scenario will continue to create a hollow in the record of the electoral commission.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Nyesom Wike, has 21 days to appeal the judgment of the tribunal and he has already indicated his intention to do so. The import is not lost on the lawyer-turned politician. If he fails to appeal, he will cease to be governor and the Speaker of House of Assembly will act as governor for 90 days. During the interregnum, the re-run poll will take place. However, sources said that the notice of the appeal will be filed this week. Therefore, Wike will remain as governor, until the determination of his appeal by the Court of Appeal.

    When the notice of appeal is filed, the onus is on the higher court to dispense with the case within 60 days. At that judicial level, the time of the court cannot be wasted by clever counsel who may want it to move at a slow speed. What is required is a painstaking judicial review.

    If at the end of the hearing, the Court of Appeal turns down the verdict of the tribunal, Wike will continue as governor. If the court affirms the judgment, he will vacate office, if he does not appeal to the Supreme Court. If he vacates office, the Speaker becomes the acting governor and a re-run election will take place in three months.

    The Supreme Court is the last resort for judicial intervention. Either party can appeal to the apex court for final arbitration. The period of appeal is the mandatory 21 days. But, it is doubtful if Wike or the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, will allow the time to lapse before filing an appeal. Also, the Supreme Court has 60 days to entertain the counsel and give the final verdict.

    If, in the wisdom of the Supreme Court, the election was transparent and devoid of malpractices, then Wike’s claim to victory will be upheld. But, if Peterside’s counter-claim that the poll was fraudulent is accepted by the apex court and his prayers are answered, he will displace his PDP counterpart as governor. If the Supreme Court also orders a re-rerun, the two candidates will return to the field for a fresh, residual mobilisation and campaigns. During the 90-day period, the Speaker will be sworn-in by the Chief Judge of the State as the acting governor. All these options or probabilities have implications for the two parties, democracy and the people of Rivers.

  • Rivers APC to security agents: Wike must not run away

    Rivers APC to security agents: Wike must not run away

    • Says it’s been vindicated by tribunal’s judgement

    The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said  the success of its candidate’s petition to the State Governorship Election Tribunal  is a vindication of  “our persistent claim that the election in Rivers State was a sham and that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) erred in declaring Wike governor.”

    The party in a statement in Port Harcourt by its chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, boasted that “there is no way under the heavens that Chief Wike can beat our candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, in a free and fair election.”

    He said that by the verdict, the tribunal has restored hope to “the downtrodden people of Rivers State who have borne the brunt of Wike’s illegal and visionless administration in the past five months.”

    He lamented  what he called the rise in kidnapping, robbery and organised crimes since the assumption of office by Wike, adding: “For the first time in the history of our dear state, a government without any vision or blueprint assumed office, thereby collapsing all the systems of governance.

    “On 22nd October, 2015, 19 students on the scholarship of the Rivers State Government through its agency, the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) were forced to abandon their studies and return to Nigeria because the state government had not paid their fees and upkeep in the United Kingdom. Those in Canada and other locations are also expected to return soon for same reasons.

    “Earlier this week, the RSUST Chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) went on a protest march and warning strike due to the mindless hiking of fees of the university’s primary and secondary demonstration schools by the clueless Wike administration.

    “Local Government Councils in the State have been unable to pay their staff salaries for August and September while some, such as Opobo/Nkoro, owe their personnel salaries from July 2015 to date.

    “In the area of sports, our twin pride Sharks and Dolphins may be relegated from the Nigerian Premier League for the first time in so many years. While Wike was busy wasting Rivers State resources in pursuit of his failed project to destroy his benefactor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, he abandoned governance.”

    He said that the security agencies should “keep a close watch on Chief Wike as we are reliably informed that he is planning to run away from facing the wrath of the law.”

  • Rivers tribunal ruling, deadly blow to impunity – APC

    The All Progressives Congress on Saturday described the verdict of the Rivers State governorship election petition tribunal that nullified the victory of Nyesom Wike in the April 11 governorship election in the state, as a deadly body blow to impunity and hooliganism.

    In a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC said the tribunal’s ruling has shown clearly that the era of impunity and hooliganism is over, and that the only way for elections to have legitimacy is for them to be free, fair and credible.

    ”What has come across from this judgment is that there is no shortcut to free, fair and credible elections. This is part of the wind of change that is blowing across the land and touching all arms of government under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    ”Elections are about the expression of the will of the people, and they must always be free to express themselves, irrespective of what some desperate politicians may feel,” the party stated.

    According to the APC, politicians, especially those seeking or occupying elective office, must realize that they can only derive their legitimacy from the people, and that unless they respect the wishes of the people, they will not go far.

    The party hailed its governorship candidate in Rivers, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, for his doggedness and strong conviction in the pursuit of his petition against the election of Wike that was not only marred by widespread violence and electoral malfeasance, but also acknowledged to be fraught with irregularities by local and international observers – and now by the judiciary.

     

  • Wike: PDP to appeal tribunal’s judgment

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has indicated plans to appeal the judgment of the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which on Saturday ordered fresh governorship election in the state within 90 days.

    Reacting to the judgment delivered by Justice Suleiman Ambrosa, Counsel to the PDP, Chris Uche, SAN, declared that Governor Nyesom Wike remains Governor until the appeal processes are exhausted.

    According to him, the nature of the judgment delivered by Justice Ambrosa-led Tribunal makes appeal necessary as the new position adopted by the tribunal must be tested in the interest of justice.

    Uche noted that the tribunal’s reliance on card reader accreditation to nullify the governorship election when evidence was led by both the Respondents and the petitioners that both card reader and manual accreditation were used for the election requires testing at the Court of Appeal.

    He said it was shocking that less than 24 hours after lawyers on all sides submitted nine written addresses and documents, the Tribunal sent notice that judgment would be delivered on Saturday morning.

  • Rivers tribunal sacks Wike

    Rivers tribunal sacks Wike

    The Rivers State governorship election petition tribunal has sacked the state’s governor, Nyesom Wike, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The tribunal, in a judgment delivered in Abuja, upheld the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in the April 11 election the state, Dakuku Peterside, challenging the declaration of Wike as winner of the election.

    The tribunal chairman, Justice Mohammed Ambrosa, in the judgment that lasted over two hours, held that the petitioners proved that the election that produced Wike “did not substantially comply with the Electoral Act.”

    The tribunal ordered a rerun election within 90 days.

     

     

     

     

  • Tribunal reserves judgment in APC’s, Peterside’s petition against Wike

    Tribunal reserves judgment in APC’s, Peterside’s petition against Wike

    The Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, then nation’s capital, yesterday reserved judgment in the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in the April 11 election, Dakuku Peterside, challenging the declaration of Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the election.

    Tribunal Chairman, Justice Mohammed Ambrosa, announced the reservation of the verdict after the parties adopted their final written addresses.

    The tribunal said it would communicate the judgment day to the parties.

    Adopting his clients’ final address, the petitioners’ lawyer, Akin Olujinmi (SAN), urged the tribunal to resolve the dispute in favour of his clients, cancel the election and order the conduct a fresh poll.

    The lawyer averred that the petitioners, through its witnesses and exhibits tendered, established that the election was marred by irregularities and conducted in substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

    The petitioners, who were given 10 days to present their case, called 56 witnesses and tendered documentary evidence, including reports by security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to support their claim that the election was characterised by fraud and widespread violence.

    Lawyers to INEC, Wike and PDP (the respondents) also adopted their addresses yesterday.

    They said the petitioners failed to prove their allegation that the election was not conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act.

    They urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition on the ground that the petitioners failed to discharge the onus of proof on them by the law.

    During trial, INEC and Wike called 16 witnesses each in six days allocated to of the respondents, to present its case; the PDP failed to call any witness, but tendered documents.

    Justice Ambrosa, on October 13, when the last respondent (PDP) closed its case, said the tribunal had before October 29 to deliver judgment in the petition.

    The tribunal chairman gave the petitioners three days, and each of the respondents four days, to prepare and file their final written addresses.

    He added that the 180 days, within which the tribunal should determine the petition, would lapse on October 29.

  • Wike, APC trade words over group

    Wike, APC trade words over group

    The Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Nyesom Wike of being behind Tuesday’s pro-Biafra protest.

    It accused Wike of funding the protest through his Special Assistant on Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, an indigene of Abia State.

    The party’s Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, described the protest as misguided.

    “Credible information available to the Rivers State chapter of the APC confirms that the pro-Biafra protest by a number of non-indigenous groups, under the platform of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was sponsored by Governor Nyesom Wike.

    “The groups, mainly from the Southeast are said to be coordinated by the governor’s Media Assistant, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, himself an indigene of Abia State.

    “The APC will like to also confirm that it was this coordinated support to the groups allied to the so-called IPOB that is responsible for the unrelenting support for the Wike government by Radio Biafra.

    “Despite the continuous claim to ownership of Port Harcourt by Radio Biafra, which it calls Igwuocha, the Rivers State government has refused to debunk the claims of Radio Biafra and the so-called IPOB.

    “The APC considers the attempt by Nwakaudu to blame those he referred to as “opposition” for Tuesday’s protest, as diversionary, because fingers are already pointed at him as the person that directly handles and organises the Indigenous People of Biafra for the government of Nyesom Wike,” the party said.

    APC urged the people to remain calm and law abiding, expressing hope that its governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, would win at the tribunal.

    But Wike, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, denied the allegation, warning that the government would not tolerate actions that could lead to a breakdown of law and order. Dissociating himself and his administration from the protest, Wike warned that those who breach the peace would face the law.

    Such demonstrations would not be tolerated, he said, urging residents to go about their duties without any fear.

  • Rivers poll: Wike, Peterside to know fate this month

    Rivers poll: Wike, Peterside to know fate this month

    •PDP closes case without calling witnesses
    •Magnus Abe to appeal senatorial judgment

    The Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has said it will deliver judgment before October 29 in the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Dr Dakuku Peterside.

    Tribunal Chairman Justice Mohammed Ambrosa urged the parties to submit their final written addresses, scheduled to be adopted on October 22, before the expiration of the time.

    The tribunal chairman spoke yesterday in Abuja after the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) lawyer Gordy Uche (SAN) announced the closure of his client’s case, without calling a witness.

    Justice Ambrosa gave the petitioners three days – and each respondent four days – to prepare and file their final written addresses.

    He noted that the 180 days, within which the tribunal must determine the petition, would lapse on October 29.

    Justice Ambrosa assured that the tribunal’s registry would remain open for the parties to file their addresses before October 22, when they would be adopted.

    The tribunal chairman added that a day before October 29 would be fixed for the judgment.

    APC and Peterside challenged the election of Nyesom Wike as the winner of the April 11 governorship election.

    They alleged that the poll was marred by widespread violence and irregularities.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Wike and the PDP are the respondents in the petition.

    Earlier yesterday, Uche tendered the result sheets of some polling units across the state and announced the closure of his client’s case.

    The lawyer’s submission of the documents came at the end of the six days the tribunal allotted to the PDP to present its case.

    Uche did not call any witness; he only tendered some documents, including newspaper clips, incident forms, result sheets, among other documents used during the election.

    But the petitioners called 56 witnesses within the 10 days allocated to it.

    Their witnesses included APC’s agents and police officers, soldiers, INEC officials and men of the Department of State Service (DSS), who testified that the election was characterised by irregularities and widespread violence.

    A petitioner’s witness, Charles Okoye, who is the head of the Election and Party Monitoring Department at INEC, described the poll as militants’ terrorism and a sham.

    He said the widespread violence and irregularities in the election made a mockery of democracy.

    INEC and Wike – the first and second witnesses – called 16 witnesses each, who insisted that the election was free, fair and devoid of violence.

    Also, the state’s Legislative Election Petitions Tribunal, led by Justice Mohammed Sifawa, yesterday dismissed the petition by Senator Magnus Abe of the APC for lacking in merit.

    Abe challenged the election of Senator Ulaka Nwogu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing Rivers Southeast.

    Justice Sifawa, who read the tribunal’s judgment, held that the petitioner failed to prove his allegation that election did not hold in the senatorial district beyond reasonable doubt.

    The tribunal chairman said the petitioner was inconsistent, by the evidence he presented to support his claim, that election did not hold.

    He said the petitioner failed to substantially prove his case by not calling witnesses from each of the over 1,000 polling units in the senatorial district.

    Justice Sifawa said: “In this kind of petition, the onus of proof is substantially on the petitioner and any failure to discharge this onus automatically renders the petition useless.

    “From the …evidence before this tribunal, we are convinced that the petitioner did not do the needful, as he failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt his sole allegation that election did not hold in his constituency in the March 28 National Assembly election.

    “It must also be stated that the petitioner knows that the onus to prove his allegation rested on his shoulder, but for unknown reasons, refused to discharge the onus as required by law.

    “By his failure to establish a prima facie case that there was no election in his constituency, this tribunal has no option than to disregard his allegation in its entirety.

    “We, therefore, hold that there was an election and uphold the election of the second respondent (Senator Nwogo) as declared by the first respondent (INEC) while announcing the election result.”

    The tribunal dismissed the petition.

    Abe said he would appeal the judgment.

    The senator said the tribunal was not fair to him by expecting him to call witnesses from the over 1,000 poling units in his senatorial district within the five days allocated to him to present his case.

    He said: “The tribunal laid the foundation for its decision in my petition. This is a case of lack of fair hearing because I was not given enough time to call my witnesses to prove my case in the petition. So, I will be in the Court of Appeal to challenge the tribunal’s decision.”

     

  • Ministerial slot: S/South APC backs Amaechi

    Ministerial slot: S/South APC backs Amaechi

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South South region has thrown its weight behind the nomination of the former Rivers state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi as minister despite opposition from the PDP led government in the state.

    The National Vice Chairman in charge of the zone, Prince Hilliard Eta said in a statement made available to The Nation in Abuja, the party said despite opposition from some of the senators from the state and the state governor, Nyesom Wike, it will stand solidly behind the governor to become a Minister.

    The statement signed by the Media assistant to the Vice Chairman, Bassey Ita said Governor Wike and his co-travelers were embarking on a wild goose chase by witch-hunting Amaechi in the attempt to thwart his emergence as a Minister.

    He said that those protesting Amaechi’s nomination as minister through spurious claims and accusations are into a wild goose chase that can only lead them to a futile end.

    The statement said; “Amaechi was unjustly witch-hunted and persecuted by the PDP machine in Rivers state led by Wike because of his (Amaechi’s) role in fighting down the evil machinations plotted against the good people of the state by the administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.”

    According to the statement titled, ‘APC Stand by Amaechi,’ “Wike and his likes cannot assume the triple role of the complainant, prosecution and judge in their case against Amaechi as there have desperately shown in their several protests and attempts to thwart his emergence as Minister of the Federal Republic.

    “As a result of the brazen desperation by the Wike-led PDP machine, they have forgotten that the extant laws provide that everyone is innocent of whatever accusation until proven otherwise.”

    The party said further that “Wike and his ilk were showing the world that it cannot even hide nor pretend on their dance of lawlessness carried over from their hey days when the drums of impunity were conspicuously being beaten aloud.”

    It added that the barrage of petitions against Amaechi’s ministerial nomination and the predetermined report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry submitted to Wike at his behest lend credence to the barefaced machinations to “give a dog a bad name so to hang it”.

    The statement said further that the APC and the people of the south south were solidly behind Amaechi’s nomination as minister because of doggedness and for his goodwill for the people.

    It urged the senate leadership to discountenance the claims by the Integrity Group among others as they constitute distractions to the forward-moving disposition of the present leadership of the country.

  • ‘Wike not planning protest’

    ‘Wike not planning protest’

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike last night denied sponsoring youths from the state to Abuja, to protest against former Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s  clearance for minister by the senate.

    Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the governor, Mr. Opunabo Inko-Tariah said: “The allegation is not only spurious, but fatuous and malicious. Governor Wike has no cause to orchestrate a protest against Amaechi’s appointment.

    “Let me reiterate that Governor Wike has no nexus with the appointment of Amaechi or otherwise. It is the right of an appointor to appoint anybody of his choice, provided such appointment is in sync with the relevant laws.

    “The appointment of Amaechi will definitely have no bearing on the governance of Rivers State. There are crucial issues the governor is more concerned with, which are issues of the state.”