Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja Saturday nullified the election of Governor Nyesom Wike, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the April 11, 2015 governorship election. It has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh governorship elections in the state.

Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Suleiman Ambrosa, in his ruling said bluntly: “we hereby order INEC to conduct fresh elections”.

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dakuku Peterside, had filed a petition on May 3, urging the tribunal to nullify the April 28 governorship election in all the 23 Local Government Areas of the state and to order fresh election.

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike, through his counsels, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) and Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), had also asked the Tribunal to dismiss the petition on the ground that it lacks merit.

The defendants further argued that the burden of proof rests on the petitioner who failed to discharge same before the tribunal.

Proceedings at the tribunal had been full of drama with INEC testifying that elections were conducted in Rivers State.

Counsel to the petitioner, Akin Olujimi (SAN), prayed the tribunal to grant the reliefs sought in their petition having successfully proved their case beyond reasonable doubt.

The ruling has thrown wild jubilation among the camp of the APC candidate who maintained that they will “win a free and fair election in the state even if it is conducted 100 times”.