UPDATED: Tribunal sacks Rivers speaker

The Rivers state election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja has nullified the election of Owaji Ibani as speaker of the state house of assembly.

The tribunal also invalidated the election of 20 members of the legislative chamber, who were all elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The affected constituencies are Bonny, Andoni, Gokana, Tai, Onelga, Degema Eleme, Obio Akpor 1, Obio Akpor 2, and Etche 2.

Opobo/Nkoro, Ahoda east 1, Akukutoru 2, PHALGA, Ikwerre and Khana.

Citing cases of violence and irregularities, the tribunal, which sat at the FCT high court in Jabi, ordered fresh election within 90 days.

The ruling came exactly two days after the tribunal annuled the victory of Nyesom Wike as governor of the state, and ordered fresh poll within 90 days.

On Monday, the leadership of the PDP announced that its national caucus will meet to discuss emerging issues from the judgment of tribunals.

“The meeting will focus on the unrelenting schemes by the APC and its federal government to use some unpatriotic elements in the judiciary to advance their plot to take over states won by the PDP,” Olisa Metuh, spokesman of the party, said in a statement.

“It is in furtherance of the decision of the party leadership to fully activate its structures in stiff resistance to the manipulations of the APC … to resist the coercion and threats of the APC-led government and the unbending determination by the PDP not to surrender any mandate freely given it to by the people at any level, no matter the pressure.”