There is palpable tension in Rivers State as the Supreme Court of Nigeria has slated January 15, 2024, to address the petition lodged by Tonye Cole, the gubernatorial candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State during the 2023 general elections.
Cole’s petition targets the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A primary aspect of Tonye-Cole’s plea to the court involves seeking Governor Fubara’s removal from office, alleging that Fubara failed to resign from his position as Accountant General of the state upon becoming the PDP candidate in the previous election.
Additionally, Tonye-Cole contends that Fubara was unqualified to contest the election and subsequently unfit to be declared the winner.
Another aspect of the petition involves Cole urging the court to nullify elections in specific local government areas due to alleged irregularities or declare him the election’s winner.
While the tribunal previously dismissed Cole’s suit for lacking merit on all grounds, he succeeded with some claims at the Court of Appeal before advancing the case to the Supreme Court for further adjudication.
The Supreme Court’s decision to set a date for the hearing has triggered tension in the state’s political landscape due to the recent feud between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
