Appeal Court Affirms Fubara’s Election

The petition filed by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Patrick Tonye-Cole, against Governor Siminalayi Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was on Tuesday dismissed by the Appeal Court sitting in Lagos State.

The petition of the Accord Party was dismissed by the appellate court.

The APC candidate, who was present in the courtroom on Tuesday, was seeking the court to direct INEC to declare him the winner of the March governorship election in Rivers.

Recall that the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had in October dismissed the petition of Cole challenging the election of Fubara as the governor of the state.

The tribunal had dismissed the petition saying that the APC that sponsored Cole had withdrawn the petition against Fubara’s victory.

Not satisfied with the Tribunal’s victory, the APC candidate approached the appellate court.

However, the appellate court affirmed the Tribunal ruling which earlier upheld Fubara’s electoral victory in October.