The Supreme Court on Friday, October 25, 2019, upheld the two appeals filed by Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal, upturning the dismissal of a petition filed by the African Action Congress and Festus Awara its candidate in the last governorship election.
Ejembi Eko, the presiding judge in delivering the lead judgment, upheld the two appeals by Wike on the grounds that they were meritorious.
The appeals were against the decisions of the Court of Appeal, reversing the two decisions of the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal.
The Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt had set aside the judgment of the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that dismissed Awara’s petition.
The five-man panel consequently directed all parties to return to the tribunal to hear the matter on its merit.
The judgment that was read by Justice J.O. Bada, held that the appellant did no harm for requesting the regularisation of his suit.
On the second appeal by Awara, on the consent judgment and preliminary objections by respondents, the five-man appeal panel in a unanimous judgment also set aside the judgment of the tribunal, saying that the tribunal erred in their decision.
