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Gov promises job for legionnaires’ children, donates N30m for Armed Forces emblem
By Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos and Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal has affirmed the election of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
In a unanimous decision, the court dismissed four separate appeals filed by Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Beatrice Itubo of the Labour Party (LP), Innocent Ekwu of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) and Lulu Briggs Dumo of the Accord Party (AP).
The APC candidate, who was present in the courtroom, yesterday, wanted the court to direct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare him winner of the March governorship election in Rivers.
The Rivers State governorship election petition tribunal had, in October, dismissed the petition of Cole challenging the election of Fubara, saying the APC that sponsored his election had withdrawn the petition.
Not satisfied, the APC candidate approached the appellate court. Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi (absent), Olabode Adegbehingbe and Bature Isa Gafa, held that the fact that APC ceased to be a party to the case did not make Cole’s petition invalid. The judges concluded that the tribunal was in error to have struck out that item of the petition.
“A political party cannot compel a candidate to withdraw a petition neither can a candidate compel the party to withdraw,” Adegbehingbe said.
However, on the other grounds, the court held that the appellants’ evidence were inadequate to prove the allegations of over-voting, disenfranchisement and other alleged irregularities.
It held that all the appellants failed to prove the allegation of non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Meanwhile, Governor Fubara has promised to provide jobs for legionnaires’ children in the state.
He made the statement at the 2024 Armed Forces Emblem appeal fund launching that took place at the banquet Hall of Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
He said without hope, it would be difficult for anybody to find any reason to live with optimism, which is why President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is instructive because it is driven to restore lost hope in Nigerians by improving the national economy.
“For us, as a government, we believe, understand, and also appreciate that the only thing that keeps a man going is when he has hope. When you don’t have hope as a human being, you are gone.
“The government of today did not make a mistake by christening its mantra, Renewed Hope Agenda. This hope is what we, as a government, will not take away from you. Rather, we will give you everything to see that there is hope,” he said.
Governor Fubara expressed appreciation to the war veterans, both fallen and living, for making invaluable sacrifices that have kept Nigeria as a united country.
Identifying with legionnaires, Governor Fubara said as a child of a soldier, he recalled how his late mother used to benefit from such welfare donations made on days like this.
The governor, on behalf of the state government, launched the emblem with N30 million, and promised to also redeem previous financial grants made to them.
In his opening address, Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG), Tammy Danagogo, said war veterans, fallen and living, had shown greater love in defending the territorial sovereignty of Nigeria and ensured its citizenry live in peace.
Danagogo requested reciprocal gestures to the patriots by the citizenry in appreciating the heroic efforts and also to inspire them to do more with necessary support that will cushion the pains that the war veterans had suffered, and the surviving members of the families of those who had paid the supreme price.
