The Supreme Court today, dismissed the suit filed by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, challenging the jurisdiction of the Rivers governorship election petition tribunal to hear a petition by candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dakuku Peterside.
Wike had contended that the tribunal sitting in Abuja had no jurisdiction over matters that transpired in the state, arguing, that the tribunal should have sat in Rivers State and not Abuja.
In their judgment this morning, a seven-man panel of Justices of the Supreme court led by Justice John Fabiyi, held that the panel that sacked Wike was properly constituted.
The apex court maintained that the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Zulkachuwa acted within her powers when she relocated the tribunal from Rivers State to Abuja.
According to Justice Amiru Sanusi who read the lead judgment, “evidence abound that there was serious security challenges prevailing in Rivers State which therefore called for the doctrine of necessity to be adopted”.
The Supreme Court held that the relocation of the tribunal to Abuja was to safeguard the lives of the Chairman and members of the panel that heard the petition that was lodged against Wike by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside.
“I am unable to see any merit in this appeal and I hereby dismiss it without any order as to cost”, Justice Sanusi held.
Other members of the panel were in agreement with the reading.
