Tribunal Receives Four Petitions On Guber Polls

The Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal, says it has received four petitions challenging the outcome of the April 26 governorship elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Assistant Secretary of the election petition tribunal, Abubakar J. Mohammed who disclosed this to The Tide in an interview in his office yesterday said four political parties and their candidates were challenging the declaration of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the election.

According to him, the parties are All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Action Alliance (AA) and African Political System (APS) and their candidates.

The Tide investigation reveals that the parties and their candidates are challenging Governor Amaechi’s election on the ground of alleged non-compliance with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended..

Also, they are seeking for an order for the conduct of a fresh election in the state.

Abubakar also disclosed that the tribunal would be inaugurated in Port Harcourt, today at the old High Court 16.

He told The Tide that chairman and members of the election petition tribunal would be made public during the inaugural sitting by 9am today.

Meanwhile, the ANPP gubernatorial candidate in Kano State, Malam Salihu Takai, has petitioned against the election of Dr Rabi’u Kwankwaso of PDP in the April general elections.

The petition, No. KN/EPT/ Gov/03/11, filed at the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Tuesday, urged the panel to set aside the election of Kwankwaso as governor- elect.

The petitioner also prayed that he, Takai, be declared the winner of the election or in the alternative, a fresh election be conducted in 23 local government areas, where there were suspected irregularities.

Malam Rukayya Bubaram, the Secretary to the tribunal, said there were two other petitions filed against the election of Kwankwaso.

Philip Okparaji