BREAKING: Supreme Court Gives Verdict on Suit Seeking to Sack Rivers Gov Fubara

• The Supreme Court has ruled that Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers state is the authentic winner of the March 18 governorship election in the state
• Justice Ibrahim Saulawa-led panel of the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by the APC and Tonye Cole over lack of merit
• INEC had declared Fubara of the PDP as the winner of the election after scoring 302,614 votes as against Cole, who garnered 95,274 votes

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FCT, Abuja - The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Siminalayi Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Rivers governor.

In a unanimous judgment on Thursday, January 25, a five-member court panel held that the appeal by Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was unmeritorious.

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In the lead judgment, Justice Ibrahim Saulawa held that Cole and the APC failed to prove their case with sufficient evidence, Channels Television reported.

Justice Saulawa resolved all the four issues identified for determination in the appeal against the appellants before he proceeded to dismiss the appeal.

Cole of the APC was in court to challenge the governor's victory in the guber election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

How Fubara defeated Tonye Cole in Rivers

Fubara polled 302,614 votes in the election to defeat his closest rival, Cole, who garnered 95,274 votes.

Unsatisfied with the poll's outcome, the APC candidate had approached the court, citing alleged rigging.

He also claimed that the governor was not qualified to contest the election because he was still serving as the state's accountant general when he went into the poll.

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According to Cole, Fubara's action violated the Constitution because he was meant to resign before contesting.

But Fubara defeated Cole at the Rivers state governorship election petition tribunal and the Court of Appeal.

Supreme Court to rule on Rivers election

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Supreme Court announced readiness to deliver judgment on the controversies concerning the Rivers state March 18 governorship election.

The parties involved were notified when the judgment would be delivered.

Source: Legit.ng