Court Of Appeal Dismisses Dr Cole’s Petition, Affirms Fubara As Rivers Gov

In a recent ruling, the Court of Appeal has dismissed the petition filed by Mr. Tonye Cole challenging the candidacy of Nyesom Wike and upheld the election of Governor Fubara in Rivers State.

An Appeal Court sitting in Lagos State has rejected an appeal filed by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Arc. Patrick Tonye-Cole. 

The court’s decision was based on the fact that Mr. Cole failed to obtain the required minimum votes during the primary election, thereby rendering his candidacy invalid. The ruling has brought an end to the legal battle that has been ongoing since the last gubernatorial election in the state. 

Governor Fubara has expressed his gratitude to the judiciary for upholding the will of the people and has promised to continue to work towards the development of the state.

The ruling of the Court of Appeal has been received with mixed reactions from the people of Rivers State. While some have expressed satisfaction with the decision, others have expressed disappointment, stating that they had hoped Mr. Cole would emerge victorious. 

Nevertheless, the ruling has brought some level of closure to the political climate in the state. It is hoped that both Governor Fubara and Mr. Cole would put their differences aside and work together for the betterment of the state. 

It is also expected that this ruling would serve as a precedent for future elections, reminding political aspirants of the importance of adhering to the rules and regulations of their respective political parties.

The petition was against the victory of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). 

Tonye-Cole sought the court to instruct INEC to declare him the winner of the March governorship election in Rivers.

However, the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had previously dismissed his petition, stating that the APC had withdrawn their challenge against Fubara’s victory.