The Appeal Court has upheld Fubara as the Governor of Rivers State, dismissing suits brought by Tonye Cole, Beatrice Itubo, Innocent Ekwu, and Lulu Briggs Dumo. The court ruled unanimously that the appellants, including Cole, failed to substantiate claims of non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Affirming the decision of the election tribunal, the court rejected four separate appeals from APC, Labour Party, Allied People’s Movement, and Accord Party candidates. Tonye Cole, seeking a declaration as the winner of the March governorship election in Rivers, had his appeal dismissed.
Present in the courtroom during the ruling, Cole had urged the court to instruct INEC to declare him the victor. The Tribunal had earlier dismissed Cole’s petition in October, citing the withdrawal of the petition by APC, Cole’s sponsoring party.
Unsatisfied, Cole took the case to the appellate court. However, on Tuesday, the court upheld the Tribunal’s ruling, confirming Fubara’s electoral victory in October. Justices Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi, Olabode Adegbehingbe, and Bature Isa Gafa held that the removal of APC as a party did not invalidate Cole’s petition, stating that the Tribunal made an error by striking out that portion of the petition.
