The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the election victory of Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, dismissing two appeals that sought to unseat him.
Justice Tijjani Abubakar, delivering the lead judgment, declared the appeals “patently unmeritorious.”
The ruling affirms Nwifuru’s position as the valid winner of the governorship poll held on March 18, 2023.
Background
The appeals were filed by Chief Ifeanyi Odii of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Prof. Benard Odoh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
They contested the victory of Nwifuru, alleging certificate forgery, corrupt practices, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
The petitioners also claimed Nwifuru’s ineligibility to stand for the election due to his alleged failure to resign from the PDP before contesting under the APC banner.
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Court’s decision
The Supreme Court found no grounds to overturn the decisions of the Ebonyi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, which had earlier upheld Nwifuru’s election.
The tribunal, in its judgment, dismissed the petitions for lacking merit, emphasizing the petitioners’ failure to establish claims and produce evidence of alleged infractions.
The Court of Appeal subsequently affirmed this decision, leading to the culmination of the case in the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the appeals.
