ADP rejects Rivers State governorship election results, goes to court

The governorship candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the March 9, 2019 gubernatorial election in Rivers State, Victor Fingesi, has rejected the outcome of the election, describing it as a ‘sham’.

He said sequel to this, the party had filed a petition at the Justice Umar Dogon-daji-led Election Tribunal to challenge the declaration of Governor Nyesom Wike as the governor-elect.

Fingesi, who disclosed this yesterday in Port Harcourt, insisted that the election was not free and fair, alleging that it was highly militarised and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to nullify the polls and reschedule a fresh exercise for the state.

He maintained that election did not hold in the state and that INEC should void the earlier purported poll, withdraw the certificate of return already issued to Wike and start the process all over again.

“We have filed a complaint against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the election tribunal.

“We know that a lot of Rivers people and other stakeholders are not happy with INEC and the return of Wike as the governor-elect.

“We are asking the tribunal to nullify the election and order fresh election,” he said.

In another development, the Coalition of South-East Leaders has decried INEC’s continued withholding of the Certificate of Return of Governor Rochas Okorocha after declaring him the winner of the Imo West Senatorial District election held on February 23, 2019.

In a statement at the weekend by its President, Chief Goodluck Egwu Ibem and Secretary, Dr. Kanice Igwe, the coalition described INEC’s action as unconstitutional and anti-democratic, adding that the statement allegedly released by Imo APC Elders Forum stating that “Okorocha’s certificate of return as the duly-elected senator for Imo West Senatorial Zone should not be issued to him by INEC” cannot override the Nigerian constitution and the electoral law of Nigeria.