By Jimitota Onoyume

FOR the people of Rivers State, varied reactions have since trailed the judgment of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal which on Saturday, October 24, 2015 quashed the election of Governor Nyesom Wike during the April 11 governorship polls. The tribunal asked the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh election for the office of the governor.

Wike and Peterside

Expectedly, the verdict may not have gone down well with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and its national headquarters in Abuja. Reports indicate that the party’s loyalists including lawyers have since launched investigations concerning the membership of the tribunal with some of them said to be trying to establish family or marital relationship between the tribunal chairman and some top government officials.

In fact the APC in the state says it is still stunned that the spokesman of Governor Wike, Mr. Opunabo Inko-Tariah would go to the extent of suggesting that, “the tribunal has delivered the ruling it was asked to deliver.” The APC condemned the insinuation describing it as “unguarded vituperation” by a government official against a tribunal of eminent judges, adding that,

“in summary, the APC understands that by turning to destroy the Nigerian Judiciary, the PDP is only employing its usual tactics of intimidation and blackmail whenever their members find themselves at the wrong end of the law, whether over corruption cases or electoral matters as is the present case.”

Wike as well as the Speaker of the House of Assembly have in separate statements expressed worry over the nullification of the governorship election results alleging that it is an indication of gang up against the PDP and the Governor. They also appealed for calm from their supporters,

The security agencies are apparently not unmindful of threats to peaceful co-existence arising from the tribunal judgment as the Rivers State Police Command has since assured residents of readiness of its men to handle any threat to peace. According to the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Grace Koko, the police are fully mobilized to tackle any ugly reaction to the judgment.

But all appears to be calm even after the nullification of the election of 20 members of the state House of Assembly on the platform of the PDP by another tribunal in Abuja. A cross section of residents have hailed Wike for not organizing what they describe as sponsored protests to shut down the economy of the state.

“There has been peace and we have not seen any attempt to cripple the economy of the state or create unnecessary tensed atmosphere with sponsored protests,” said Ibiene John Bull, a Port Harcourt resident said. As expected, the APC leader in the state, former governor Chibuike Amaechi, governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC in the governorship election, Mr Dakuku Peterside , state Chairman of   the party, Chief Davies Ikanya and other members of the party have continued to hail the verdicts, describing them as victory for democracy. The two camps have adduced arguments in support and against the verdicts.

Residents have also been divided on the judgment but a point of unity among residents appears to be on the issue of peace as the state has not known political stability since 2003. The assassination of   Marshal Harry, A.K Dikibo during the reign of former governor Peter Odili and the cult related crisis that followed are still fresh in the minds of a number of residents.

There were the assassination of Ambassador Ignatius Ajuru, Charles Nseigbe  during the first tenure of Amaechi and the cult and political related killings that also played up   In the last days of his administration. A Port Harcourt resident, Ahaemefule Chidi, said the judgment of the tribunal had capacity to further plunge the state into deeper security crisis.

According to him, the two key actors battling for  the political soul of the state, governor Wike and his predecessor, Amaechi were two different people of the same kind. According to him, “for me, Governor Wike and Amaechi are like two sides of the same coin. They fight to finish.   Today, you see Amaechi pulling his federal might against Wike. Yesterday, it was Wike doing so against Amaechi. The ordinary people and the state suffer in the face of all the drama.”

On the verdicts of the tribunals, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon Ikuinyi Owaji Ibani, said that the card reader was not an issue in similar elections in other states as he argued that it was a point for nullification of the election of the governor in the state.

However, according to him, “we have strong faith in the Nigerian   state and its judicial system. We believe as legislators that conscience not placed on the canvass of justice is unconscionable. We believe that the same principles in law should be applied in all circumstance.

If Ambode in Lagos state has nothing with card reader why should the Wikes in Rivers have.   Justice is one element that keeps the faith of the people of a nation. It is my plea that wherever we find ourselves as people of Nigeria the Nigerian state should give us justice.” And, according to Nko-Tariah, “what is going on right now can best be described as judicial gang-up against Governor Wike, nay, the people of Rivers State.

It is an affront on democracy and a blight disregard for the will of the people as evinced in the April 11 general elections.” Nko-Tariah said at the time the tribunal was relocated to Abuja, Court of Appeal and federal high courts were sitting in the state, stressing that the decision to relocate the tribunal to Abuja was part of an alleged plan to subvert the will of the people.

“The courts are setting pernicious precedents by hinging their verdicts on inane points. Rivers people overwhelming gave their mandate to Governor Wike but a microscopic few want to wrest that mandate from him through the back door. As at when the Tribunals were set up, the Court of Appeal and the Federal High court were sitting. The state was also peaceful. Why move the juridical seat to Abuja then,” he asked.

The answer, according to him, “is simple, to subvert the will of the people. The issue of security was ostensibly used. It is only a veneer for the compromising bias of our adversaries. But like Winston Churchill said:”truth is incontrovertible: malice may distort it, ignorance may deride it but there it is. I believe that sagacity shall prevail at the Supreme Court on the substantive issue of who won the governorship election in Rivers State.

Rivers people will not resign themselves to fate and allow their mandate freely given to Governor Wike stolen. I enjoin all the political and judicial coup plotters to give this a penetrating thought. We shall defend our mandate. The voice of the people is the voice of God and the people have spoken: it is Wike or no one.”

But   Amaechi, the APC governorship candidate and Ikanya   have all lauded the judgment, saying it vindicated their earlier position in the party that the April general elections in the state were not credible. The party further accused Wike of launching a smear campaign against the Judiciary over pronouncements on the elections.

In a statement, Publicity Secretary of the APC, Chris Finebone, said it was unfortunate that the PDP and its governor in Rivers  state would denigrate the Judiciary for doing its job creditably.

As he put it,   “we recall that the APC have had a number of rulings against the party and its candidates at the various National Assembly Election Petition Tribunals especially for Rivers State where over 90 per cent of the rulings favoured the PDP and its candidates. Neither the APC National Working Committee nor the various affected state chapters of the party came out to impugn the integrity of our Judiciary. The APC took those outcomes with equanimity and proceeded on appeal in most cases without declaring and levying war on the Judiciary the way the PDP is doing now.”