- Apex court reserves judgments
Governors Ahmad Aliyu (Sokoto) and Kefas Agbu (Taraba) have asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeals challenging their election victories.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Sokoto State candidate in the last governorship election, Saidu Umar, are praying the Supreme Court in their appeal to set aside the November 27, 2023 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed Aliyu’s election victory.
In their appeal, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and its candidate in Taraba State, Sani Yahaya, are praying the apex court to reverse the November 28, 2023 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which upheld Agbu’s election.
Umar and the PDP had challenged Aliyu, and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), at the election petitions tribunal, alleging that Aliyu and his deputy, Idris Gobir, were not eligible to contest the governorship poll.
They claimed that Aliyu and Gobir submitted forged certificates with different names which they filed with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to aid their qualification for the election.
Umar and the PDP also claimed that the election was marred by electoral fraud in 138 polling units across the state.
In its judgment, the election tribunal dismissed the petition by Umar and the PDP, which the Court of Appeal upheld in its November 27 judgment.
But Yahaya and the NNPP challenged Agbu’s election on the grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act and that Agbu of the PDP didn’t score the majority of lawful votes cast.
The election tribunal rejected their petition, a decision the Court of Appeal affirmed in its November 28 judgment.
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At yesterday’s hearing of the Sokoto appeal, lawyer to Umar and the PDP, Sunday Ameh (SAN), prayed the court to dismiss the preliminary objection filed by Aliyu and Gobir.
Ameh also prayed the court to allow his clients’ appeal and grant all the reliefs sought.
Lawyer to Aliyu and Gobir, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), urged the court to uphold his clients’ preliminary objection and strike out the appeal or, alternatively, dismiss the appeal for lacking in substance and uphold the two concurrent decisions of the tribunal and Court of Appeal.
Lawyers to the APC and INEC – Hassan Liman (SAN) and Chukwudi Enebeli – also urged the court to dismiss the appeal.
Ruling, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who led a five-member panel, said the parties would be informed when the judgment is ready.
The judge said, as agreed by lawyers to the parties, judgment in the appeal heard would be applied to a sister appeal.
On the Taraba case, appellants’ lawyer, Olusegun Jolaawo (SAN), urged the court to reject the preliminary objection filed by INEC, allow the appeal and grant all the reliefs sought.
Lawyers to the respondents, including Kanu Agabi (SAN), prayed the court to dismiss the appeal for being academic and affirm the concurrent judgments of the two lower courts.
Justice Kekere-Ekun also announced that judgment in the appeal, which is reserved, would be applied to the sister appeal.