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Tribunal Reserves Judgement On Rivers Guber Petition …INEC, Wike, PDP Seek Dismissal Of Case …AAC Collation Agent Confirms Wike’s Victory
The Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has reserved judgment in the petition filed by the defeated Governorship Candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Mr Victor Fingesi against the re-election of Governor Nyesom Wike.
The Chairman of the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal, Justice Kingsley Orjiako said that the tribunal would inform the parties when judgment would be delivered.
The tribunal reserved judgment after all the parties adopted their final written addresses following the hearing of the petition.
However, lawyers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have asked the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal to dismiss the petition filed by the Governorship Candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Mr Victor Fingesi because the petitioner failed to lead evidence to prove his petition.
In his final written address, INEC’s lawyer, Garba Tetengi, stressed that the electoral commission presented the accurate and authentic results.
He said that the 2019 Governorship Election was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines, and noted that after the collation of results, Wike emerged victorious.
In his final written address, Counsel to Wike, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition because the ADP Governorship Candidate failed to prove the three grounds on which his petition is premised upon.
Ukala told the tribunal that the petitioner failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt as required by law.
Ukala said: ”One of the grounds requires he proves that illegal votes were credited to the winner of the election, which the petitioner is asking the court. There is nowhere that the petitioner showed that Wike obtained illegal votes. He couldn’t show that the results were not in line with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines”.
Ukala said that the petitioner, in line with the Supreme Court judgment, ought to have called witnesses from the 4,442 polling units to prove that voting did not hold.
He said: “The allegation of non compliance in voting process needed to be proven beyond reasonable doubt. The Supreme Court had already provided a standard of proving no voting and the petitioner would have called voters in each of the pulling units in the entire state.
“There are 4,442 polling units in the governorship election, how many witnesses did they bring before the tribunal to prove their petition as required by law? They brought only two witnesses, one from Okrika LGA and the other from Etche LGA. This means they did not comply. It falls below the standard of the law”.
The counsel said that the petitioner led no evidence to prove that there were corrupt practices during the governorship election, adding that the petitioner’s evidence was lacking in quality and quantity, and so, should be dismissed by the tribunal.
Counsel to the PDP, Chief Godwin Obla said that the ADP failed to prove during the hearing of the petition that the election was marred by irregularities.
He said as long as collation of results was carried out, the petitioner has no locus standi to challenge the victory of the governor, and urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition.
Obla stated that the petitioner tendered certified true copies of the collated results for the 2019 governorship election and made no attempt to prove that the results were not the true reflection of the election, adding that the petitioner failed woefully to prove his case.
Similarly, the African Action Congress (AAC) State Collation Agent for the 2019 Rivers State Governorship Election, Mr Nenye Kocha has confirmed that Governor Nyesom Wike emerged victorious on the strength of the governorship collation between April 2 and 3, 2019.
Kocha, who appeared as star witness of AAC at the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal, last Monday, said all through the collation of results, there was no time that the defeated AAC governorship candidate led in the race.
Kocha, who is also the secretary of AAC, said that he was a registered member with party card registration number: AAC8016ONL, adding that he joined the AAC in August, 2018.
The AAC state collation agent told the tribunal that the party had only 418 agents across the 4,442 units in the state, emphasising that as a new party, they were able to clear only four House of Assembly candidates and one governorship candidate for the March 9, 2019 elections.
He revealed during cross examination by counsel for 2nd respondent (Wike), Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) that one Donatus Barikor from Gokana LGA and Henry Iyala from Degema LGA, who testified for Awara as the party collation agents, were imposters and not AAC members.
He further noted that there were no results collated for Gokana and Abua/Odual local government areas during the State Collation of the Rivers State Governorship Election.
The AAC witness said: “We had just four House of Assembly candidates and one governorship candidate. Out of the 32 seats in the Assembly, we only had four candidates. No candidate for National Assembly. We had collation agents in only 418 polling units across the 4,442 polling units in the state.
“No result was declared for Abua/Odual and Gokana LGAs as at the time of collation. INEC conducted the election in strict compliance of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines”.
The AAC collation agent declared that he would not dent his integrity because of mere politics, emphasising that he was at the tribunal to declare the truth.
He said: ”Donatus Barikor for Gokana and Henry Iyala for Degema were not AAC party agents.
“This is the first time I am in politics, coming from industry I am in politics for integrity. APC adopted our governorship candidate two days to the election”.
Kocha admitted that at the party no longer has a deputy governorship candidate following the withdrawal of Chief Akpo Bomba Yeeh from the ticket.
He said that the AAC won in only two local government areas – Akuku-Toru and Oyigbo LGAs as clearly declared by INEC during the collation of results.
Nenye added that most of the witnesses presented in court by Biokpomabo Awara initially were not members of AAC, stressing that the AAC started in August, 2018 and only prepared for the election two days to the polls after it was adopted by the leadership of the APC.
Also, last Monday, a certified video clip presented by the African Action Congress through its subpoenaed witness, an African Independent Television (AIT) staff, Osademe Joseph, proved Governor Nyesom Wike as the winner of the 2019 Governorship election in Rivers State after the collation of results between April 2 and 3 of 2019.
Osademe told the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal that he was one of the producers of the live broadcast of the Rivers State Governorship election results collation held between April 2 and 3, 2019, at the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Port Harcourt.
In the video clip played in court, INEC declared Wike winner of the poll with 888, 264 votes ahead of the AAC Gubernatorial candidate, Biokpomabo Festus Awara, who came second in the list with total of 173, 859 votes.
The video also confirmed the collation and declaration of Obio/Akpor LGA election results and non-declaration of Gokana and Abua/Odual LGAs by INEC.
Meanwhile, a serving Assistant Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, ACP Victor Onugbo, yesterday, tendered a document before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, authenticating the electoral victory of Governor Nyesom Wike during the March 9, 2019 election.
Onugbo, who serves at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Port Harcourt, appeared before the tribunal based on the court subpoena on the state commissioner of police.
Responding to questions from counsel to African Action Congress (AAC), Henry Bello, Onugbo told the tribunal that the document he presented was the incident reports of all that occurred during election, and added that the report was sealed by the Rivers State police command.
Onugbo also told the court that the then commissioner of police, CP Usman Belel, signed the documents of the results sheets after declaration of the winner of the March 9 election.
Also responding to questions from counsel for Governor Wike, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), on whether it was a practice in the police that certified copies of the documents are kept in the custody of the command, Onugbo said all the documents were certified and kept in the custody of the Officer in Charge of Legal Matters at the command.
Onugbo also told the court that he was an observer during the election, and dismissed evidence that the police wwere indicted in the alleged electoral violence in the state.
Also, the AAC has closed cross examination of its witnesses with appearance of the ACP in court.
The tribunal adjourned till, today, for the Independent National Electoral Commission to present its witnesses.
However, speaking with newsmen outside the courtroom, the AAC counsel, Henry Bello, noted that his client has closed its case with the cross examination of the police officer who tendered evidence documents before the Tribunal.
He said: “It is not the number of witnesses you call that is important but the materiality of the evidence given by the witnesses. I am an advocate for change of a lot of things concerning the conduct of election litigation in Nigeria. Most of the things we do in election are basically documentary.
“It is my considered opinion that AAC as with these vital witnesses demonstrated a lot of things before the tribunal. We will await the decision of the tribunal on the points we have made before the tribunal.
“I had 1650 witnesses, I donated some of them to the 1st petitioner and they were able to call 20 out of the 500 we gave them”.
On his part, counsel to INEC, Woyike Livingstone, said “Today, the court has heard evidence from the PW23 in the capacity of the Assistant Inspector General of Police who was subpoenaed to come and give evidence in this regard and he has given evidence to the effect that the report which he tendered as an exhibit which was marked as Exhibit X1 were reports authenticating the victory of the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike
“He has also given evidence to the effect that the report never in anyway indicted the security agencies or even INEC as an agency.
“And so today the 2nd Petitioner has closed their case and we optimistic by tomorrow when the tribunal reconvenes, INEC which is the commission which I represent will open their case for witnesses”.
Also speaking, one of the counsels representing the second respondent, Governor Nyesom Wike, Dike Udenna, noted that: “The 2nd Petitioner, AAC, a political party, they have closed their case today after calling a total of three witnesses, which has brought the total number of witnesses called by the petitioner to 23. So, it is now for the 1st respondent (INEC) to open and conduct their own defence’.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
The governor announced the cabinet dissolution yesterday in a statement titled ‘Government Special Announcement’, signed by his new Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi.
Governor Fubara directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
He thanked the outgoing members of the State Executive Council for their service and wished them the best in their future endeavours.
The three-paragraph special announcement read, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
“His Excellency, the Governor, has therefore directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
“His Excellency further expresses his deepest appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council wishing them the best in their future endeavours.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections, even as it seeks N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of national polls in 2027.
An additional N171bn is needed to support INEC’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections, the commission stated.
The INEC boss said the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.
He explained that, although the details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the almost N1tn election budget is structured across five major components.
“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chief noted that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”
On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan disclosed that the Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of N140bn, stressing, however, that “INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171bn.”
The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.
He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.
Amupitan also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical glitches.
Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate.
He advocated that the envelope budgeting model should be set aside.
He urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid future instances of possible underfunding.
In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable the Commission to plan early enough for the 2027 general election.
The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.
The committee also said it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32bn to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support, warning INEC to be careful about promises it might be unable to keep.
He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.
“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
The N873.78bn proposed by INEC for next year’s general election is a significant increase from the N313.4bn released to the Commission by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday expressed grief over the death of a former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities and one of Africa’s foremost literary scholars, Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo.
Jeyifo passed away on Wednesday, drawing tributes from across Nigeria and the global academic community.
In a condolence message to the family, friends, and associates of the late scholar, Tinubu in a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, described Jeyifo as a towering intellectual whose contributions to African literature, postcolonial studies, and cultural theory left an enduring legacy.
He noted that the late professor would be sorely missed for his incisive criticism and masterful interpretations of the works of Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
The President also recalled Jeyifo’s leadership of ASUU, praising the temperance, foresight, and wisdom he brought to the union over the years.
Tinubu said Jeyifo played a key role in shaping negotiation frameworks with the government aimed at improving working conditions for university staff and enhancing the learning environment in Nigerian universities.
According to the President, Professor Jeyifo’s longstanding advocacy for academic freedom and social justice will continue to inspire generations.
He added that the late scholar’s influence extended beyond academia into political and cultural journalism, where he served as a mentor to numerous scholars, writers, and activists.
Tinubu condoled with ASUU, the Nigerian Academy of Letters, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Oberlin University, Cornell University, and Harvard University—institutions where Jeyifo studied, taught, or made significant scholarly contributions.
“Nigeria and the global academic community have lost a towering figure and outstanding global citizen,” the President said.
“Professor Biodun Jeyifo was an intellectual giant who dedicated his entire life to knowledge production and the promotion of human dignity. I share a strong personal relationship with him. His contributions to literary and cultural advancement and to society at large will be missed.”
Jeyifo was widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential literary critics and public intellectuals. Among several honours, he received the prestigious W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2019.