By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

The judgment annulling the outcome of 20 state constituency elections in Rivers State compounds the problems of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Rivers State and sets stage for an unprecedented constitutional crisis

The chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC was ecstatic on Monday night as word of the tribunal judgment sacking 20 of the 32 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly seeped in.

The victory of the party’s candidates was an icing to the cake after last Saturday’s judgment of the state Governorship Election Tribunal ordered a rerun of the governorship election declared to have been won by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the last election.

At the end of the elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC had declared victory for the PDP in the governorship election and also, in 31 of the 32 state House of Assembly constituencies. The APC was only credited with one seat in the House.

The election was, however, contested both by the APC and most independent observers who declared the elections to have been rigged. Remarkably, the governorship and the state House of Assembly elections were held on the same day on April 11.

Governorship tribunal

Wike and Peterside

The judgment of the governorship tribunal had as such come as further relief to the APC in its bid to take control of the state.

The APC it would be recalled had been in control of the state until May 29. The party led by former Governor Rotimi Amaechi had alleged that the PDP, being the party in power at the time of the April 11 governorship and state legislative elections, had used security forces to foist its will on the electorate.

Remarkably, the campaigns preceding the election had been much characterised by violence with the death of several supporters of the APC.

Following the election, the APC had vowed to appeal the elections and by last week, the party’s supporters had again begun to smile with victory in sight.

The PDP top hierarchy had fixed a meeting of its national caucus for tomorrow to review the import of the judgment on the governorship elections in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States.

Monday’s judgment remarkably adds to the woes of the party, and in fact becomes a game changer for the two parties in the event of a rerun.

The summary of the judgment puts the PDP on knife-edge as it leaves the party with control of only 11 seats in the 32 member state House of Assembly.

With 11 members needed to form a quorum, it means that any further loss on the part of the party could mean the House not being able to form a quorum, and thereby not being able to produce the speaker that could act as acting governor in the event of a possible rerun of the governorship election.

Yesterday, the incumbent speaker of the House who was one of those affected by the judgment was seething with indignation with a vow to contest the judgment.

He was also quick to dismiss insinuations that control of the House had turned over to the APC.

“The whole world knows that election was conducted in the state on April 11. The whole world knows as well that INEC prepared for such election for a long period. Because we have faith in the judiciary system, we have faith in the judges and justices we have in Nigeria we believe that our cass will not be different.

We have faith in the Chief Justice of Nigeria that justice must be done. We have faith in the judiciary.

You can’t insulate democracy from justice. Through free will the people voted governor Wike and members of the state House of Assembly. We must keep faith with the Nigeria state,” he said.

“People will always say this Speaker  does not laugh. Today I am going to laugh. Leadership entails maturity”, he said on a lighter note.

Also adding to the woes of the PDP was the Supreme Court judgment yesterday which dismissed Governor Nyesom Wike’s contention that the relocation of the Governorship Election from Rivers State to Abuja was wrong. The judgment in effect, removed any contention against the Saturday judgment that annulled the governorship election.