The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal has upheld the election of Nasir Idris as the lawfully elected governor of Kebbi State in the March 18 election.
The appellate Court while dismissing the appeal brought before it by the People’s Democratic Party PDP and its Governorship candidate, Aminu Bande, noted that the petition lacks merit.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by the three-man panel, led by Justice Ndukwe Anyannwu, the Court while resolving all the five issues formulated for determination held that the allegations of forgery of testimonial brought against the Deputy Governor of the State, Abubakar Tafida was not established as required by law.
MUST READ: Kebbi Banditry: Residents In 13 Sacked Communities Return Home
The lead Justice also held that the issues of non compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act in the conduct of the election could not stand because the appellants failed to proof how the allegations substantially affected the election.
Justice Anyanwu subsequently affirmed the judgment of the Kebbi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal which had earlier dismissed the petition of PDP and affirmed the election of the governor.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the March 18 Kebbi gubernatorial election inconclusive owing to “massive vote cancellation and overvoting” in 20 of the 21 LGAs in the state.
The commission later fixed 15 April for a supplementary election.
At the end of the exercise, Idris, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), scored 409,225 votes to beat Bande, who got 360,940 votes.
Bande and his party dissatisfied with the result, filed a petition before the tribunal
The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Birnin Kebbi, reaffirmed the election of Nasiru Idris as the duly elected governor of Kebbi State.
The tribunal, in its ruling, while dismissing the application filed by the PDP described the petitioner’s application as lacking in evidential value.
This prompted Bade to approach the appellate court.
Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie
