The Court of Appeal, Lagos State, has affirmed Siminalayi Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the Governor of Rivers State, following the dismissal of a petition filed by Patrick Tonye-Cole, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Patrick Tonye-Cole had contested Fubara’s victory in the governorship election held in March 2023, challenging his declaration as the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Present in the courtroom on Tuesday, Tonye-Cole sought the court’s intervention to direct INEC to declare him the winner.
However, the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had already dismissed Cole’s petition in October, stating that the APC, which sponsored Cole, had withdrawn the petition against Fubara’s victory. Unsatisfied with the tribunal’s decision, the APC candidate proceeded to the Court of Appeal.
In a ruling on Tuesday, the Court of Appeal affirmed the Tribunal’s decision, upholding Fubara’s electoral victory in October. This legal development solidifies Fubara’s position as the duly elected Governor of Rivers State.
The dismissal of the petition by the Court of Appeal marks a significant legal milestone in the post-election disputes in Rivers State, concluding the challenge brought forward by the APC candidate against the governorship election results.
