The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by Patrick Tonye-Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the election victory of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The apex court, in clear terms, declared the appeal as grossly lacking in merit on Thursday .
Background
Siminalayi Fubara emerged victorious with 302,614 votes, as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), while Patrick Tonye-Cole secured approximately 95,000 votes. The Court of Appeal in Lagos State had previously affirmed Fubara’s victory, endorsing his valid sponsorship by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Tonye-Cole’s central argument focused on Fubara’s alleged failure to resign as Rivers State Accountant General by the March 18 governorship election. Despite this claim, the appeal court rejected the case, aligning with the Rivers State Tribunal’s assessment that Cole’s petition lacked merit and failed to prove Fubara’s disqualification.
Dissatisfied with the outcomes of the lower courts, Patrick Tonye-Cole sought redress from the Supreme Court. However, the apex court, in its recent ruling, echoed the decision of the lower courts, stating that the appeal was grossly lacking in merit.