The Supreme Court has given its reasons for upturning the judgment of the Rivers State governorship election petitions tribunal, and that of the Court of Appeal.

Giving reasons for the judgment, the court holds that the tribunal was induced by hearsay evidences, raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Dakuku Peterside in the petition filed against the conduct of the 2015 governorship polls in the state.

The court further holds that the respondent in the appeal (APC) failed to substantiate its claims in line with its proof of evidence as to the allegation of massive rigging and violence in 23 local government areas of the state as it was only able to substantiate its claims on four of the affected areas.

The apex court, in a lead judgment delivered by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun had on January 27, 2016 upturned the ruling of the tribunal and the appellate court, thereby upholding the election of Mr Nyesome Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly elected Governor of Rivers State.

The Supreme Court also gave its reasons for upholding the election of Senator Ibikunle Amosun as the Governor of Ogun State against Mr Adegboyega Isiaka of PDP.

The court said that it dismissed the appeal in favour of Amosun on the grounds that it lacked sufficient evidence to back up its claims.

The court declared that the appellant court called only nine witnesses for just 12 polling units out of the total of 1,672 polling units in contention, and given the nature of the inadmissible evidences tendered, the appeal was “dead on arrival.”

•Text courtesy of Channels TV. Photo shows Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mahmud Mohammed.

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