The Appeal Court has affirmed the elections of Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and his Kebbi counterpart, Governor Nasir Idris.
In the Ebonyi State case, the three-member panel in its unanimous decision dismissed the appeal filed by Chukwuma Odi of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The court also dismissed the appeal brought before it by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and that of the Social Democratic Party, Kenneth Gbagi, against Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
The court held that the appeal lacked merit and upheld Oborevwori’s election and dismissed Omo-Agege’s appeal for lacking in merit.
Reacting to the judgment, the former Deputy President of the Senate, Omo-Agege, described Friday’s judgement as “a redemption deferred for Deltans”.
While hinting that he will proceed to the Supreme Court to seek justice in the matter, Omo-Agege appealed to his supporters to remain calm and law-abiding.
He assured that “the judiciary which I have absolute confidence in will, at the final hurdle, serve justice and redemption now deferred.”
This was contained in a statement issued shortly after the Appellate Court decision, by his Media Adviser, Mr. Sunny Areh.
Adebutu vs Abiodun
In the case of Ogun, the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos, on Friday, affirmed the election of Abiodun of the ruling APC as the winner of the March 18 poll in the state.
In a majority judgement delivered by the duo of Justices J.S. Ikyegh and Muhammed Mustapha, the appellate court dismissed the appeal brought before it by the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, in the state, Ladi Adebutu.
The court held that the appeal lacked merit as it found no substance in it and subsequently dismissed it, affirming the earlier decision of the Tribunal without costs.
While upholding the expunging of the evidence of the forensic experts, the court held that there is a huge crater in the petition of the appellants, making same castrated, sterile, and with no legs to stand on.
On the issue of disenfranchisement raised by the appellant, the court held that it was the duty of the appellants to prove disenfranchisement by calling voters who could vote but were disenfranchised.
Kaduna gov poll
The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has also set aside the order by the tribunal which declared the governorship election in Kaduna State inconclusive.
The court also affirmed the election of Uba Sani of the APC as the governor of the state.
Sani, the All Progressives Congress candidate in the election had polled 730, 001 votes to defeat his closest rival Isah Ashiru of the Peoples Democratic Party who scored 719, 196 votes.
Delivering judgment on the matter on Friday, the court agreed with the tribunal that the petitioners abandoned their petition after failing to apply for the issuance of a pre-hearing information sheet following the close of pleadings as required by paragraph 18(1) of the first schedule to the Electoral Act 2022.
The appeal court also agreed with the tribunal that the appellants contravened the provision of the electoral act for failing to front-load the list of some of its witnesses along with its petition.
The three-member panel of the appellate court led by Justice Obietonbara Daniel-Kalio, however, held that the evidence relied on by the tribunal to declare the election inconclusive had discrepancies.
Bauchi speaker sacked
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has sacked the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman, from his seat as the member representing Ningi Central Constituency in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The Appellate Court in its judgment on Friday, ordered for a rerun in 10 Polling Units in the Constituency.
Saturday PUNCH reports that Suleiman is the immediate past Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria.
The Independent National Electoral Commission’s Returning Officer, Professor Shuaibu Muhammad, had declared him the winner of the Ningi Central Constituency election held on March 18th.
Suleiman, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, won with 16, 866 votes to defeat his closest rival, Khalid Abdulmalik-Ningi of the All Progressives Congress, who scored 15, 065 votes while the candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Danlami Bara’u scored 4,886 votes.
But not satisfied with INEC’s declaration of the results of the election, Abdulmalik-Ningi, approached the Governorship and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in the State to seek redress.
But the Tribunal dismissed his case and affirmed the victory of Suleiman for a second term in office.
Also not satisfied with the judgment, the APC candidate went to the Court of Appeal to challenge the Tribunal’s ruling.
In its judgment on Friday, the Appellate Court’s three-man panel, set aside the judgment of the Tribunal and ordered for a rerun.
Meanwhile, Abubakar Suleiman, in a statement by his Spokesperson, Abdul Burra, described the judgment as a minor political setback which is not new to politics.
