PDP govs condemn relocation of Rivers, A’Ibom election tribunals

 Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike

The Peoples Democratic Party governors have expressed displeasure over the relocation of the Taraba, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states’ election petitions tribunals to Abuja.

The governors said this at the meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum, which held in Abuja on Tuesday night.

At the meeting, which ended in the early hours of Wednesday, the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, was also elected as the chairman of the forum.

Mimiko succeeds ex-Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, who is now a senator.

Addressing journalists shortly after the meeting that started at 9:30pm on Tuesday, Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, said his colleagues were not happy about the relocation of the tribunals.

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“We condemn in very strong terms the relocation of election tribunals in Rivers State, Taraba State and Akwa Ibom State to Abuja,” Ikpeazu said.

He also announced that “the PDP governors’ forum unanimously elected Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State as chairman of the forum.”

The governors said they were delighted at the way former President Goodluck Jonathan accepted the outcome of the April 11 election and congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his election.

Ikpeazu said, “We congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari on his election as the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

“We also commend and salute our former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, for his display of peaceful disposition in the 2015 general elections, which has stabilised our political landscape.

“We equally congratulate Senator Bukola Saraki, Yakubu Dogara and Suleiman Lasun on their emergence as the senate president, the speaker, House of Representatives and the deputy speaker respectively.

“We specially congratulate our own Senator Ike Ekweremadu on his emergence as the deputy senate president.”

The PDP governors’ new chairman, Mimiko, who also spoke to journalists, said, “We will do everything that we can do to engage the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress in a very constructive manner. We have also agreed to create formal and informal mechanisms of peer review, all for the development of our nation.”

The governors in attendance at the meeting were, Mimiko, Ikpeazu, Idris Wada (Kogi), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba).

The deputy governor of Bayelsa State, John Jonah, represented his state at the meeting.

The other PDP governors that neither attended nor sent representation were Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State; Ayodele Fayose, Ekiti; Nyesome Wike, Rivers; Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta and Ben Ayade, Cross River.