The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal filed by Sai’du Umar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the concurrent judgments of the Sokoto State Election Petitions Tribunal and Court of Appeal, Abuja.
These rulings upheld the election of Governor Ahmed Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Supreme Court, presided over by a five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, reserved judgment on the appeal after Wednesday’s hearing.
The court adjourned to a date to be communicated to the parties involved.
Background
Governor Aliyu was declared the winner of the March 18, 2023, governorship election by INEC last year.
Umar, dissatisfied with the outcome, challenged the results at the Sokoto Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which dismissed the petition on September 30.
The tribunal’s Chairman, Justice Haruna Mshelia, stated that the petitioners failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt.
Undeterred, Umar took the matter to the Court of Appeal in Abuja, where a three-member panel affirmed Governor Aliyu’s victory in November.
The panel, in a unanimous decision, found no grounds to overturn the tribunal’s verdict.
Umar’s appeal reached the Supreme Court, where judgment is now reserved.
The PDP candidate alleges non-qualification, electoral fraud, certificate forgery, and other irregularities during the March 18, 2023, poll.
The Supreme Court’s decision will not only impact Umar’s case but also another appeal filed by the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) seeking the removal of Taraba State Governor, Kefas Agbu of the PDP.
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