Nigerian Supreme Court on Thursday ruled out the country's oil-rich southeastern Rivers State's governor election held on April 21 and ousted the incumbent governor Celestine Omehia's position as governor.
Omehia's rival during the election, former Speaker of Rivers House of Assembly, Rotimi Amaechi, was made as the authentic candidate of PDP and winner of the April 21 gubernatorial election in the state.
The court consequently ordered Celestine Omehia, to vacate the office and Amaechi be sworn in in his place, immediately.
In the unanimous judgment of the court panel presided over by Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, it held that Omehia was wrongfully substituted for Amaechi as PDP candidate for the election.
Katsina-Alu, the judge who read the verdict of the court, said the substitution of Amaechi was not done in accordance with the provisions of Section 34 (2) of the Electoral Act 2006.
The panel set aside the earlier decision of the Court of Appeal, which held that Omehia was constitutionally substituted because Amaechi had been indicted by a federal government administrative panel.
The court adjourned till Jan. 18 to give a full reason for the judgment.
Source: Xinhua
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