Wike Charges People Of Rivers to Resist APC’s Rigging Machinery

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the nullification of his election by the Court of Appeal, was as a temporary setback. He that the will God and the mandate of the people would prevail at the end of the day.

While addressing thousands of Rivers State people, who thronged the Port Harcourt International Airport to receive him yesterday, Governor Nyesom Wike placated the people to remain peaceful, insisting that the state remains Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite the situation now.
 

He assured the people that his lawyers had already started the process of appeal to the Supreme Court, noting that after the Supreme Court, the PDP would accept whatever judgement given by the apex court.

The governor said; “the PDP was ready for the National Assembly election as ordered by the Appeal Court, but warned that the people would resist any attempt by the Federal Government to use soldiers and policemen to manipulate the elections”.

Adding that: “I want to warn, let nobody attempt to do what happened in Bayelsa State here. Since they said they have annulled the elections, let them come and conduct fresh elections. Let nobody think that they can use soldiers and policemen to intimidate us. We will resist any such attempt. We have maintained our cool for a long time. Our calmness should not be mistaken as a sign of weakness.”

“ We shall return all our National Assembly members as a way to disgrace those who think they will snatch the mandate of the people”, he said.

On May 13, 2015, the Election Tribunal for Rivers State, sitting in Abuja, commenced the hearing on the election of Nyesom Wike. Dr Dakuku Peterside of the APC is seeking the tribunal to nullify the election of Nyesom Wike of the PDP who was declared winner as governor in the poll held on April 11, 2015, on the grounds that it was fraught with malpractices and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Nyesom Wike opposed the hearing of the case in Abuja, arguing that the Tribunal should be held in Port Harcourt. But the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachawa, rejected Wike’s arguments and ordered that the tribunal be held in Abuja, for reason of security. Justice Zainab also ordered that, besides Rivers, all Election Petition Tribunals for Adamawa, Borno and Yobe beheld in Abuja.

After failing to serve Wike with court summons, presiding Justice Muazu Pindiga approved the request by Mr Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu (SAN), the counsel to Dr Dakuku Peterside of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to grant an order for substituted service on the Governor-elect because Wike had been evading service of court summon and other processes in the petition challenging Wike’s elections. Akeredolu stated that the court bailiffs had on several occasions visited Wike’s residence to effect court service on him but was on all the occasions turned back at the gate by Wike’s security guards upon discovery that he was a court bailiff.

Ruling on the petitioner’s counsel’s motion, Justice Pindiga, who granted the prayers, ordered that the court processes should be pasted on the wall of Wike’s house. He said that “I have gone through the motion ex-parte and it is hereby granted; all the court processes are deem valid.” Justice Pindiga then ordered that substituted service be effected against Wike either by pasting the court process on Wike’s house or at the office of the PDP secretariat in Rivers state or in Abuja.

The River State Governorship election tribunal nullified the election of Mr Nyesom Wike on October 24, 2015. The election tribunal ordered Governorship election rerun in Rivers State within 90 days immediately after the day of judgment. Wike appealed the ruling of the tribunal, Which he lost.

 

Source: The Breaking Times News