Appeal Court Affirms Fubara As Rivers Gov, Excuses Cole’s Appeal

By Odiawa Ai

An Appeal Court sitting in Lagos State on Tuesday excused the petition filed by the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Patrick Tonye-Cole, against Lead Representative Siminalayi Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The appellate court also excused the appeal of Accord Party.

The APC candidate, who was present in the courtroom on Tuesday, needed the court to direct INEC to declare him the winner of the March gubernatorial election in Rivers.

The Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had in October excused the petition of Cole challenging the election of Fubara as the Lead Representative of the state.

The tribunal had excused the petition saying that the APC that sponsored Cole had withdrawn the petition against Fubara’s victory.

Dissatisfied with the Tribunal’s victory, the APC candidate approached the appellate court. Nonetheless, the court on Tuesday affirmed the Tribunal verdict which earlier upheld Fubara’s electoral victory in October.