Rivers: Collation lauds Appeal Court judgement affirming election of Gov Fubara

A coalition of 100 pro-democracy groups has welcomed the ruling of the Appeal Court affirming the election of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.

Newspot recalls that the court, in a unanimous decision on Tuesday, upheld the judgment of the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal, which had earlier dismissed four separate appeals filed against the governor.

Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Beatrice Itubo of the Labour Party (LP), Innocent Ekwu of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), and Lulu Briggs Dumo of the Accord Party had all filed petitions seeking to nullify the election of the governor.

Although the Tribunal dismissed their petitions, the opposition parties and their candidates dragged the matter to the Appeal Court.

Ruling on the appeal, the court affirmed the decision of the Tribunal and declared Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the winner of the March 18 gubernatorial polls in Rivers State.

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Reacting, the coalition, in a statement issued on Wednesday by its spokesman, Barrister Francis Nwogu, said the judgment of the Appeal Court was proof that Fubara was truly elected by the people of Rivers State.

Nwogu noted that the victory is a testament to the governor’s dedication, vision, and unwavering commitment to the people of Rivers State.

The statement said: “This outcome has given credence to the Rivers State Elections Petition Tribunal, which was also in Fubara’s favor. We appreciate the due diligence done by the judiciary in arriving at this conclusion.

“This affirmation of the victory is a pointer that the judicial system in our country has evolved and can be trusted and relied upon.

“The justices stood firm against every attempt to influence them. Some powerful forces even resorted to blackmail, intimidation, and a campaign of calumny, but that too didn’t work because today the judiciary has proven to be the last hope of the common man.”