Rivers gov poll: Wike loses bid to stop inspection of election materials

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA—Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, yesterday, failed to persuade the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, to reverse the order it made on June 11, which granted All Progressives Congress, APC, leave to inspect the election materials used for the April 11 governorship election in the state.

In its ruling, chairman of the tribunal, Justice Muazu Pindiga, declined to vacate the ex-parte order, stressing that it was not made against Wike, but directed at  Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which he said has the constitutional powers to keep the materials in its custody.

The tribunal consequently dismissed Wike’s objection and gave both the APC and its governorship candidate at the poll, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, who are the petitioners, the go ahead to scrutinise the election materials.

According to the tribunal, “Our order of June 11, 2015, was made against INEC to allow the petitioner access to inspect  and obtain a Certified True Copy, CTC, of all documents and materials used in the conduct of the governorship election in Rivers State, 2015, and we so hold.

“Therefore, in compliance with Section 151 of the Electoral Act, our order still stands.”

It will be recalled that the petitioners had, at the last adjourned date, accused INEC of conniving with Wike to frustrate its effort to inspect the materials that were used for the conduct of the governorship election.