Bayelsa State Chief Judge to swear in Wike as Rivers governor

The Chief Judge of Bayelsa State has been saddled with the responsibility of swearing-in Barrister Nyesom Wike as the governor of Rivers State on May 29.
This follows the vacuum in the office of the Chief Judge of Rivers State and the President of the Customary Court of Appeal.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), made this known in a statement on Tuesday.
Adoke said the decision to use the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State in the performance of the duty was to avoid the creation of vacuum in the office of the governor in Rivers State.
There had been apprehension over who will inaugurate Wike, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and governor-elect of Rivers State in the April 11 election.
This follows the vacuum in the office of the Chief Judge of Rivers State.
The state also does not have a President of the Customary Court of Appeal.
Adoke in the statement on Tuesday said this has made strict compliance with the requirements of section 185(1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, virtually impossible.
He added: “In order to avert a likely constitutional crisis in Rivers State on 29th May 2015 when the Governor-Elect, is expected to be sworn as Governor of Rivers State, I have requested the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State to administer the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the Governor-Elect of Rivers State in accordance with section 185(2) of
the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which provides as follows: ‘The Oath of Allegiance and the oath of Office shall be administered by the Chief Judge of the State or Grand Khadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the State, if any, or President of the Customary Court of Appeal of the State, if any, or the person for the time being respectively appointed to exercise the functions of any of those offices in any State.’
“The general public particularly the Government and People of Rivers State are hereby invited to take note of this development and appreciate the fact that the invitation extended to the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State to administer the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the Governor-Elect of Rivers State on 29th of May 2015 is in accordance with the Constitution and should therefore be respected by all and sundry.”