Rivers Chief Judge Inaugurates LGA Election Tribunals

Rivers Chief Judge, Justice Iche N. Ndu has inaugurated local Government Election Tribunal, as well as local Government Election Appeal Tribunal.

The Local Government Election Tribunal has Chief Magistrate Ilaye Diane Brown as chairman, while Barr. Kingsley Nyebuchi Philips, and Mr. Sunday Biranen are members, while  the Local Government Election Appeal Tribunal, has Hon. Justice Sylverline O. Iragunima, as chairman, Justice Boma G. Diepiri, and Justice Crescent K. Dappa-Addo as members respectively.

Inaugurating the Election Tribunals at a brief ceremony held at the Chief Judge’s Court auditorium last Monday, the State Chief Judge, Justice Iche N. Ndu said the tribunals would handle petitions filed by some aggrieved person a challenging the conduct and results emanating from chairmanship and councillorship  bye-elections conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission RISEIC into the Ogba/Egbema, Oyigbo, Degema, Asari-Toru, Khana, Ahoada and Eleme Local Government Councils in the state held between February 9 and 6 and March 16, 2013.

Represented by Hon. Justice Daisy Okocha, the Chief Judge said inauguration of the Election Tribunals, and Election Appeal Tribunal for the determination of Election petitions and appeals are part of the legal process that completes the process of democracy as stipulated by the Rivers State Local Government Election Tribunals law.

According to him, section 1(2), (3) and (4) of the law provides for the establishment, by the Chief Judge, of one more local Government Election Tribunal composed of the Chairman and two other members”, with the original and exclusive Jurisdiction to hear and determine Election petitions arising from the local Government Elections in the state.

He further stated that section 7 (1), (3) and (4) of the same law also provides for the establishment of an Election Appeal Tribunal by the Chief judge to hear appeals from the Election Tribunals.

“I wish to draw your attention to section 14 (1) (Supra) which provides that an election petition shall be heard and determined within 3 months from the date the petition was filed.

The State Chief Judge reminded the appointees that they were not only entrusted with  the onerous and sacred duty of administering Justice to all parties in the election petitions and Appeals, but also to the state and the country at large.

Justice Ndu while congratulating them, charged them to sustain the democratisation process which begun some years ago by adhearing to the oath of their office and urged them to carry out their assignment without fear of favour.

He urged them to uphold the law by redressing electoral injustice with utmost dispatch and practicality and advised them not to betray the confidence reposed on them by the state judiciary.