Supreme Court upholds Wike's election as governor of Rivers State

ABUJA

A seven-man panel of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on Wednesday upheld the election of Nyesom Wike as the governor of Rivers State

The panel led by the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Mahmud Mohammed said that it will explain the reasons for the judgement on February 12. 

The Supreme Court ruling effectively set aside the judgments of the tribunal and the Court of Appeal which had both sacked Wike.

In the lead judgement, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun held as follows;

“I find and hold that this appeal is meritorious and it is allowed. The judgement of the lower court delivered on the 16th of November 2015 and the judgment of the tribunal delivered on 24th October 2015 are hereby set aside.

“The petition of the petitioners is dismissed. The return of Nyesom Wike as governor of Rivers State by the Independent National Electoral Commission is restored.”

Other members of the panel, Justices Mohammed, Ibrahim Mohammed, Sylvester Ngwuta, Kumai Akaahs and Amiru Sanusi, concurred with Kekere-Ekun’s  judgment.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the April 11, 2015 governorship election, Dakuku Peterside had earlier obtained judgments from the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal sacking Governor Nyesom Wike.