Rivers Chief Judge Inaugurates State Local Government Election Petition Tribunal

The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra, has inaugurated the Local Government Election Petition Tribunal to look into election petitions that may arise from the local government elections held in the state.

Local government elections were held in the state across the 23 Local Government Areas on April 17 and conducted by Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).

The members of the tribunal, who were appointed by the outgoing Chief Judge, were inaugurated on Monday, April 27.

The Chief Judge charged the members to “discharge their duties in line with the oath of allegiance administered on them”.

A total of three panels were raised from the tribunal with separate chairmen and members.

The first panel has Rite C. Oguogo as chairman while members are Precious U. Dike and Richard Opara.

For the second panel Philipa Dike-Udenna is chairman while members are Israel D. Israel and Prof. Emilia Jaja.

The chairman of the third panel is Lawrence Ishiakaku and members are Aya Orugbani and Samuel M. Blackye.

The electoral umpire published names of seventeen political parties to take part in the April 17 local government elections across the state.

Some of the political parties include African Action Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Action Democratic Party, National Rescue Movement and Action Alliance.

Others were Labour Party, Zenith Labour Party, Young Progressive Party, Allied Peoples Movement, All Progressives Grand Alliance and African Democratic Congress and others.

In the election the ruling Peoples Democratic Party won all Chairmanship and Councillorship positions in all twenty-three local government areas.

 The Chairman of RSIEC, Justice George Omereji (retd) assured the elections would be free and fair.

However some political parties called for cancellation of the election alleging electoral irregularities.