A group, the Society for Good Governance (SGG), has urged the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, to relocate the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja to Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The group faulted the decision of the Court of Appeal President to allow the tribunal to sit in Abuja when Port Harcourt is peaceful and there is no threat to the lives of the tribunal members.
The group’s coordinator, Tamuno Greg, said in Abuja that there was no basis for compelling the tribunal to sit in Abuja.
Greg said that law, equity, justice and fair play demanded that the tribunal should sit in Port Harcourt. He added that it will be in the interest of all the parties to ?have the tribunal relocated to Port Harcourt.
He urged the people of Rivers State to put the rancour associated with the elections behaind them and work together for the interest of the state.
Greg said: “If the city is not peaceful as they would want us to believe, why has the President of the Court of Appeal not relocated the Court of Apppeal in Port Harcourt to Abuja?
“Our argument is that if the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court can continue to sit in Port Harcourt, what is the justification for bringing the tribunal to Abuja?
“Look, all the witnesses are in Rivers State. The plaintiffs’ witnesses and the defendants’ witnesses are in Rivers. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff, who
conducted the elections, are in Rivers. So, why putting everybody under inconveniences?
“We therefore, call on the President of the Court of Appeal to rescind her decision by relocating the tribunal back to Port Harcourt.”
