The election of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara in the March 18, 2023, governorship election has been affirmed on Tuesday by the State and National Assembly Appeal Court sitting in Lagos.
The Appeal Court dismissed four separate appeals filed by Tonye Cole of the All Progressive Congress, Beatrice Itubo of the Labour Party, Innocent Ekwu of the Allied People’s Movement, and Lulu Briggs Dumo of the Accord Party in a unanimous judgment.
The court ruled that all of the appellants had failed to show their claim of noncompliance with the Electoral Act.
The tribunal was also chastised by the court for dismissing Tonye Cole’s appeal on the grounds that the APC had sponsored him and had withdrawn the suit challenging Governor Fubara‘s victory.
The appellate court also ruled that the fact that the APC dropped its lawsuit challenging Fubara’s victory does not preclude Tony Cole from filing an appeal.