Supreme Court Affirms Fubara as Rivers State Governor

By Iyojo Ameh

The Supreme Court has unequivocally validated Siminalayi Fubara as the legitimate governor of Rivers State. The ruling, delivered by a five-member panel led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, dismissed the appeal filed by Mr.

Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the outcome of the governorship election held on March 18, 2023.

The Apex court found the appeal lacked merit and upheld the concurrent decisions of both the Court of Appeal and the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, affirming Fubara’s victory at the polls.

Justice Kekere-Ekun emphasized that there was no convincing evidence presented to dispute the election’s compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

Notably, the APC had withdrawn from the case during the proceedings before the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal. Despite this, Tonye Cole remained resolute in pursuing his petition against Governor Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to its logical conclusion.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Fubara as the winner with 302,614 votes, defeating his closest rival, Tonye Cole of the APC, who garnered 95,274 votes. Cole, dissatisfied with the results, alleged corrupt practices and non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022, prompting his appeal to the tribunal.

With the Supreme Court’s final ruling, Siminalayi Fubara solidifies his position as the authentic governor of Rivers State, marking the end of a legal battle that had persisted since the gubernatorial contest.