The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the elections of four state
governors: Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Ibikunle
Amosun (Ogun) and David Umahi (Ebonyi).
The apex court in separate four judgments held that the four
governors were duly elected and dismissed the appeals against them
accordingly.
The apex court’s sitting was presided over by the Chief
Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed. The Supreme Court also dismissed the verdicts of the Rivers State
Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja and that of
the Court of Appeal in Abuja which nullified the election of Wike and
ordered for a rerun. In the lead judgement read by a Justice of Supreme Court (JSC),
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the apex court added that it would give
reasons for its judgement on February 12. The Supreme Court further dismissed the appeal against the election
of Governor Dankwambo after the application was withdrawn by the
appellant. The apex court later went on to declare Dankwambo as the
validly elected governor of Gombe State
The first appeal was filed by Wike challenging the judgement of the tribunal and the Court of Appeal. The second appeal was filed by the PDP, while the third was filed by
the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, challenging the
judgement of the tribunal and the court of appeal. The apex court allowed the three appeals and dismissed the objections
raised by All Progressive Congress APC and its governorship
candidate, Dakuku Peterside. Adopting his brief of argument earlier, lawyer to Wike, Mr Emmanuel
Ukala (SAN), argued that Dakuku failed to present sufficient evidence
before the court to prove that the election was marred by
irregularities.
Ukala said, “They relied on over voting in their argument but the
registers they tendered before the court had only 11 local government
out of 23 which was never demonstrated before the court. He urged the
court to allow the appeal. On his part, lawyer to the PDP, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), urged
the court to dismiss the prayers of Dakuku on the grounds that he was
not able to present sufficient exhibits before the court to show that
people were kidnapped during the election in the state. Opposing Wike’s appeal, lawyer to Dakuku, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN)
and that of the APC, Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN), insisted that the issues
raised by Wike were not presented in form of a motion and urged the
court to dismiss the appeal for lack of merit. Olujinmi said, “We
tendered voters registers as exhibit and was admitted in evidence.