I Wasn't Sacked By Tribunal - Rivers Assembly Speaker
Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani, the speaker of the Rivers state House of Assembly said the election petition tribunal did not sack him from office.
Speaking yesterday, October 27, at the Assembly complex in Port Harcourt, he explained that the tribunal only nullified the election that brought him into office but did not sack him, The Nation reports.
The speaker said: “I heard in the news that the Speaker and 20 others have been sacked by the election tribunal. But this is not true.
“No member of the Assembly, not even the Speaker, has been sacked. The lower tribunal gave judgment. In their judgment, they argued that there should be a rerun within 90 days.
“I am still the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and the members still remain members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”
According to Ibani, who represents Andoni, it was erroneous for people to say that the tribunal had sacked him from office.
He stated that he and the other lawmakers whose elections were nullified by the tribunal were going to appeal the verdict, adding that he was optimistic justice would prevail.
Ibani wondered why the card reader, which was not used to determine the case of Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the tribunal, should be used to determine that of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.
On Monday, October 26, the Rivers state House of Assembly election petition tribunal nullified the election of 20 House of Assembly members in the state and Ibani was one of those affected.
However, the tribunal upheld the elections of the PDP candidates in 12 constituencies. Those who survived the election nullification include: Deputy Speaker Marshall Stanley-Uwom (Abua/Odual); Chief of the House Evans Bipi (Ogu/Bolo); the only APC member in the Assembly, Olu Josiah John (Eleme) and 10 other lawmakers.
This came barely 48 hours after the tribunal nullified the election Nyesom Wike as the governor of the state and ordered that a rerun be conducted within 90 days.
Speaking yesterday, October 27, at the Assembly complex in Port Harcourt, he explained that the tribunal only nullified the election that brought him into office but did not sack him, The Nation reports.
The speaker said: “I heard in the news that the Speaker and 20 others have been sacked by the election tribunal. But this is not true.
“No member of the Assembly, not even the Speaker, has been sacked. The lower tribunal gave judgment. In their judgment, they argued that there should be a rerun within 90 days.
“I am still the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and the members still remain members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”
According to Ibani, who represents Andoni, it was erroneous for people to say that the tribunal had sacked him from office.
He stated that he and the other lawmakers whose elections were nullified by the tribunal were going to appeal the verdict, adding that he was optimistic justice would prevail.
Ibani wondered why the card reader, which was not used to determine the case of Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the tribunal, should be used to determine that of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.
On Monday, October 26, the Rivers state House of Assembly election petition tribunal nullified the election of 20 House of Assembly members in the state and Ibani was one of those affected.
However, the tribunal upheld the elections of the PDP candidates in 12 constituencies. Those who survived the election nullification include: Deputy Speaker Marshall Stanley-Uwom (Abua/Odual); Chief of the House Evans Bipi (Ogu/Bolo); the only APC member in the Assembly, Olu Josiah John (Eleme) and 10 other lawmakers.
This came barely 48 hours after the tribunal nullified the election Nyesom Wike as the governor of the state and ordered that a rerun be conducted within 90 days.
