Breaking… Supreme Court dismisses Wike’s appeal on Election Petition Panel

Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers State, Tuesday, in Abuja, suffered another legal setback, as the Supreme Court dismissed the suit he filed to  challenge the jurisdiction of the Rivers Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to entertain the petition by candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dakuku Peterside.

Wike, in the appeal, had argued that the tribunal sitting in Abuja had no jurisdiction in matters that transpired in the state, insisting that the tribunal should have sat in Rivers State and not Abuja.

In the judgment, the seven-man panel of Justices of the court led by Justice John Fabiyi, ruled that the tribunal that sacked Wike was properly constituted, maintaining that the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Zulkachuwa acted within her powers when she relocated the tribunal from Rivers State to Abuja.

Justice ‎Amiru Sanusi, who read the lead judgment, said: “evidence abound that there was serious security challenges prevailing in Rivers State which therefore called for the doctrine of necessity to be adopted”.

The Supreme Court further held that the relocation of the tribunal to Abuja was for the purpose of safeguarding the lives of the Chairman and members of the panel.

“I am unable to see any merit in this appeal and I hereby dismiss it without any order as to cost”, Justice Sanusi ruled.

Other members of court panel agreed with the lead judgment.

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