Rivers tribunal to Wike, PDP: Election documents must be inspected

The Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Thursday held that its earlier order for the inspection of polling materials in the April 11 governorship election remained valid.
Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Muazu Pindiga, restated the order in a ruling he delivered at the resumed hearing of a petition challenging the election of Governor Nyesom Wike (PDP).
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in the election, Hon Dakuku Peterside, filed the petition seeking nullification of Wike’s election.
Counsel to Wike, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), had asked the tribunal to vacate its order on the ground that his client had a pending application challenging the territorial jurisdiction of the tribunal to hear the petition in Abuja.
Akin Olujinmi (SAN), who represented the petitioners, had opposed Ukala’s position contending it was a deliberate plan to frustrate the hearing of the petition.
Pindiga said the tribunal was properly constituted to issue any order which must be obeyed by any party appearing before it.
He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a party to the petition, which the order directly affected, neither complained nor asked the tribunal to vacate the order.
Pindiga adjourned further hearing in the petition to July 22.