Rivers Tribunal Sacks 20 House Of Assembly Members

The River state House of Assembly election petition tribunal has nullified the election of 20 House of Assembly members in the state. The judgment was delivered on Monday, October 26. The Punch reports that four separate panels of the Rivers state national/state assembly elections petitions tribunal nullified the elections of the Speaker of the Rivers state House of Assembly, Owaji Ibani, and 19 other seats won by candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the April 11, 2015 elections. The tribunals have upheld the petitions of the All Progressives Congress and its candidates in 20 out of the total 32 constituency elections. The tribunal upheld the elections of the PDP candidates in 12 constituencies. These are Okrika, Oyigbo, Etche I, Omuma, Ogu-Bolo, Port Harcourt I and III, ONELGA II, Abua/Odua, Ahoada West, Ahoada East II and Emuoha constituencies. Constituencies where the PDP candidates’ elections were nullified are Gokana, Eleme, Obio/Akpor I and II, Eleme, Etche II, Opobo/Nkoro, Akukutoru I and II, Asari Toru – and II, Bonny, Tai, ONELGA I, Degema, Khana Iand II, Port Harcourt II and Ikwerre. Recall that the tribunal had at the weekend, sacked Nyesom Wike as the governor of the state and ordered that a rerun be conducted. After the tribunal’s verdict, Wike made it known that that he will appeal the judgment. Today, election tribunals all over the country has decided more than two petitions filed before it, challenging April 11 elections. The governorship election petitions tribunal in Plateau state upheld the election of Governor Simon Lalong of the All Progressive Congress (APC). The governorship election tribunal sitting in Delta state upheld the election of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The National and State Assemblies Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia also nullified the election of Emeka Nnamani of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the April 11, 2015 elections.