An Appeal Court in Lagos State has ruled against Patrick Tonye-Cole, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
The dismissed petition targeted Governor Siminalayi Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The appellate court, in a session on Tuesday, not only rejected Cole’s plea but also dismissed the petition of the Accord Party. Cole, who was personally present in the courtroom, sought a directive from the court to compel INEC to declare him the winner of the March governorship election in Rivers.
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This legal battle traces back to the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s decision in October, which initially dismissed Cole’s petition challenging Fubara’s election victory.
The tribunal’s grounds for dismissal were rooted in the withdrawal of the petition by the APC, the party sponsoring Cole.
Unsatisfied with the tribunal’s verdict, Cole took the matter to the appellate court. Unfortunately for the APC candidate, the court on Tuesday upheld the tribunal’s ruling, affirming Fubara’s electoral victory from October.
