Rivers re-run: Defeated PDP Candidates Go To Tribunal

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Opobo/Nkoro State Constituency in the March 19th rerun election in Rivers State Adonye Diri has filed a petition before the National and State Houses of Assemblies Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Port Harcourt.
The petition was instituted against the elected APC lawmaker, Andrew Miller, the All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The PDP candidate Adonye Diri is contending that the APC candidate, Andrew Miller was not elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the poll.
Adonye Diri wants the tribunal to declare him winner of the March 19th rerun election for Opobo/Nkoro state constituency having scored the highest number of lawful votes cast at the poll.
In the same vein, the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State and its candidate for Akuku Toru Constituency 2 Tonye Awari Alalibo have filed a petition before the election petition tribunal sitting in Port Harcourt, challenging the declaration and return made by INEC.
The PDP and its candidate are contending that INEC wrongly declared the APC candidate, Benibo Anabraba winner of the election.
The petitioners are also contending that INEC misinterpreted and misunderstood the court’s judgment which ordered a rerun for the Akuku Toru State constituency 2 seat in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Tonye Awari Alalibo in the petition said he scored the highest number of lawful votes cast at the poll and ought to have been declared winner of the election as no court disqualified him from contesting the rerun election.
No date has been fixed by the tribunal for hearing of the petitions filed by the PDP and its candidates.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC says the Commission was ready to improve on the March 19 re-run Legislative election.
Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Aniedi Ikowiak said a lot of lessons were learnt from the last election.
Ikoiwak told newsmen that politicians who deliberately undermined the success of election in Rivers state will no longer have the opportunity to sabotage the efforts of INEC.