The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has described the verdict by the state governorship election petitions tribunal that upheld his election as the beginning of the confirmation of the trust expressed in him by the Rivers people.
The governor also dedicated his victory to God and his predecessor, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Fubara stated this while speaking at a brief thanksgiving service held at the Chapel of Everlasting Grace, Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday night.
A statement issued on Tuesday morning by the media aide to the governor, Boniface Onyedi, said the service was attended by some members of the State Executive Council and political leaders.
Fubara restated his commitment not to disappoint the expectations of Rivers people during his administration.
He explained that the place of God in his administration would not be compromised, saying this explained why they had gathered to thank Him for his unceasing direction and guidance, which made his emergence as governor possible at the polls that has now been affirmed by the tribunal.
“No matter how brief it is, it is just to say thank you to God our Father, thank you to God His Son and thank you to the Holy Spirit who directs and guides us.
“And to also say that God will always pass through somebody to make things happen. I want to appreciate our principal who stood behind me; who has created this opportunity with the help of every one of you here to say a big thank you.”
The governor who solicited more support to the administration also enjoined Rivers people to be patient with his government as it delivers good governance that will make their lives better.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party in the state have vowed to appeal the judgement of the tribunal. The APC governorship candidate in the election said he would study the ruling with his legal team and take the necessary steps.
Cole also faulted one of the grounds of the tribunal that the party in the state had hitherto withdrawn from the matter.
He stated, “I really will like to see what the judges stood on to make their decisions.
“The main case that the APC withdrew and as a result of that my own rights were infringed upon, I don’t agree with that. The law allows me to continue with the case up to the Supreme Court.”
Similarly, the deputy governorship candidate of the LP, Sam Kinane, said,” We won’t end it here. We will not be able to let Nigerians feel the pain of the robbing that was done in the elections.
“One thing I keep telling people whether we get the kind of justice that we expected or not, if we do not take the matter to court, it would say, ‘yes we were waiting but they did not come.’”
Continuing, he said, “Now that we have taken it to the court and have showed every available evidence they have come with nullification. So, we are still going to take it to the Supreme Court and let’s also hear from them.”
The Rivers State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja had on Monday dismissed the petition filed by the LP and the APC against the victory of Fubara as governor of the state.
LP’s Beatrice Itubo and APC’s Cole had approached the tribunal to challenge the victory of the PDP’s Fubara.
