The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved judgment in the appeals filed by the Peoples Democratic Party ?(PDP) and the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
The PDP and Wike, who was the party’s governorship candidate in the last election, are by their appeals, challenging two decisions by the Rivers State governorship election petitions tribunal, currently sitting in Abuja.
[dropcap type=”3″]T[/dropcap]he appellants want the appellate court to set aside the tribunal’s ruling, where it held that it was validly constituted and that, for security reasons, it could sit in Abuja as against Port-Harcourt, to determine the petition filed against Wike’s election.
PDP and Wike also want the Court of Appeal to set aside the permission granted the petitioners – All Progressives Congress ( APC) and its governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside – to inspect materials used for the April 11 governorship election.
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Arguing his client’ appeal yesterday, Wike’s lawyer, Emmanuel Ukala urged the court uphold the appea on the ground that the tribunal was wrong in granting the petitioners the permission to inspect election materials without given them (the appellants) adequate notice.
Ukala equally urged the court to reverse the tribunal’s decision to the effect that it could sit outside the state where election was held to determine dispute from such election for security reasons.
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Lawyer to the PDP, Ifedayo Adedipe aligned with Ukala in his submission and urged the court to allow his client’s appeal.
In a counter-argument, lawyer to APC and Peterside, Akin Olujinmi (SAN) urged the court to dismissed the appeals for lacking in merit and substance.
Olujimi was of the view that the tribunal was right in sitting in Abuja for security reasons.
He also argued that the tribunal was in order in granting permission to the petitioners to inspect all the materials used for the disputed election.
Olujinmi said the tribunal, headed by Justice Muazu Pindiga, was right when it held that it was properly constituted to determine the petition by the APC and Peterside.
Presiding judge, Justice Abubakar Yahaya, after listening to arguments by parties and heard them adopted their briefs, informed them that a date will be communicated to them for the court’s decision.