Gombe, Kebbi Gubers: S/Court Upholds Yahaya, Idris’ Elections
POLITICS DIGEST- The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the elections of Governors Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and Nasir Idris of Kebbi State.
Both governors belong to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Their elections were disputed in court by their challengers after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared them the winners of the 18 March 2023 elections in their various states.
The Supreme Court affirmed their elections in separate judgements on Friday.
Deciding the Gombe case, a five-member court panel led by Kudirat Kekere-Ekun dismissed the appeal filed by Jibrin Barde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging Governor Yahaya’s election.
Mr Barde questioned the outcome of the 18 March polls, alleging electoral malpractices and perjury against Governor Yahaya.
But affirming Mr Yahaya’s election in the Supreme Court’s lead decision, Ms Kekere-Ekun said, “Having critically considered the concurrent decisions of the lower court and the Court of Appeal, I find no merit in this appeal. The decisions of the courts below are hereby affirmed.”
The Court of Appeal in Abuja had in November last year affirmed the election of Mr Yahaya as governor of Gombe State.
At the appellate court, Theresa Orji-Agbadua, who delivered the lead decision of the court’s panel of justices, said Mr Barde’s case lacked merit.
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The justice said the petitioner at the tribunal, failed to prove allegations of non-qualification, perjury and certificate forgery levelled against Mr Yahaya and the electoral commission.
Also delivering judgement on the Kebbi State governorship election appeal, Uwani Abba-Aji, in her lead decision of the court’s panel, said the appellants, the PDP and its candidate, Aminu Bande, failed to discharge the burden of proof placed on their shoulders by the law.
“My conclusion is that this appeal lacks merit and it is hereby dismissed,” Ms Abba-Aji said in the lead decision.
In her contribution to the lead verdict, Ms Kekere-Ekun said, “There is no scintilla of merit in this appeal, and I accordingly dismiss it.”
The PDP and Mr Bande had prayed to the Supreme Court to nullify the 24 November 2023 judgement of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld the election of Governor Idris.
They faulted the appellate court decision on the basis that it dismissed their appeal without proper consideration of their evidence.
The appellate court had held that the allegation of forgery levelled against the Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Tafida, was unsubstantiated.
It further held that the issues of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act in the conduct of the election could not stand since the appellants failed to show how it substantially affected the outcome of the poll.
The electoral commission had declared the Kebbi State governorship election inconclusive on account of massive vote cancellations and over-voting in 20 of the 21 LGAs in the state.
Subsequently, INEC conducted a supplementary election on 15 April 2023, which was won by Governor Idris.
