Supreme Court Affirms Siminalayi Fubara As Rivers State Governor

The Supreme Court has dismissed Tonye Cole and the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s appeal against the election of Siminalayi Fubara as Rivers State governor, deeming it lacking in merit.

Confirming Fubara as the duly elected governor, the court ruled that the appellant failed to substantiate allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, among other claims. The court deemed the appeal incompetent and subsequently dismissed it.

Cole, the APC’s gubernatorial candidate, contested Fubara’s victory citing reasons such as Fubara not resigning as the Accountant General of Rivers State before the election, alleged irregularities, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act. Seeking to overturn the judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Tribunal, which upheld Fubara’s victory, Cole’s case stemmed from the Appeal Court’s November 28, 2023 decision, dismissing his appeal due to insufficient and unconvincing evidence. The Court of Appeal in Lagos had unanimously affirmed Fubara’s election, dismissing appeals from Cole and other candidates.

Despite the dismissals at the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, Cole persisted in seeking the court’s direction for INEC to declare him the winner of the March governorship election in Rivers. The Supreme Court’s latest dismissal upholds Fubara’s electoral victory and the previous decisions of the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.