The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governor’s Forum and Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, on Monday, said the judgment of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which nullified the election of Nyesom Wike of Rivers State was an embarrassment and called for a great concern.
Mimiko, who spoke while addressing reporters in Akure, the state capital, wondered why the three-man tribunal was in a haste to deliver judgment
He queried that a case challenging its jurisdiction was still pending at the Supreme Court which was less than 48 hours that both parties in the petition submitted written addresses.
The Rivers Tribunal had, on Saturday, ordered Nyesom Wike to vacate the Governor’s seat and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Mimiko observed that the judgment was suspicious and asked why the tribunal refused to wait for the decision of the Supreme Court over its jurisdiction before passing a verdict on the petition.
“Our mindset is that the tribunal judgment can go either way, but the Rivers own is particularly embarrassing. We all know the circumstances surrounding the Rivers State tribunal. You recall now that for unjustifiable course, that tribunal was not allowed to sit in Port Harcourt, it was taken to Abuja – and, somewhere along the line, the chairman of the Tribunal got changed.
“Now we challenge the jurisdiction of the Tribunal and it has gotten to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court will give judgement in the next few days. The Abuja Tribunal continues to sit. On Thursday, nine written addresses were adopted,” Mimiko said.
