Rivers: Failure Of INEC, PDP To File Processes Stalls Tribunal Sitting

The hearing of the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dr Dakuku Peterside, against the victory of Chief Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could not go on yesterday, following the failure of the respondents to file their replies to the application for pre-hearing session.

During the proceedings of the tribunal yesterday,lawyer to the PDP, Goddy Uche, informed the tribunal that they needed time to file his client’s responses.

Consequently, the tribunal, headed by Justice Muazu Pindiga, was compelled to adjourn further hearing till today to enable the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP and Wike to file their responses.

The respondents were seen at the tribunal registry trying to file their processes yesterday.

Wike and PDP had earlier challenged the decision of the tribunal to sit in Abuja, describing as lame, the excuse of insecurity which the President of the Court of Appeal PCA Justice Zainab Bulkachukwa relied upon to locate the tribunal in Abuja.

They had filed the application challenging the powers of the PCA of Appeal to allow the tribunal to sit in Abuja instead of the state where the election in dispute was conducted.

They claimed that the sitting of the tribunal in Abuja was in breach of section 285 (2) of the 1999 Constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act 2010.

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