From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Supreme Court has affirmed Siminialayi Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and his Sokoto counterpart, Ahmad Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the duly elected governors of their respective states in the March 18, 2023 governorship election.
A five-member panel of the apex court, in a lead judgment read on Thursday, by Justice Tijani Abubakar, dismissed the appeal filed by Sai’du Umar, candidate of the PDP, seeking to nullify the victory of Aliyu in the March 18 governorship election.
The court upheld the concurrent judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Sokoto State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which earlier upheld Governor Aliyu’s election.
For Rivers State, a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, dismissed the appeal filed by Tonye Cole, candidate of the APC in the governorship election in Rivers State as lacking merit.
Cole had prayed the apex court to set aside the November 28, 2023, judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed Fubara’s election.
The appellant contended that the election was marred by irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Cole further alleged that Fubara did not resign before the election as required by the Constitution. He alleged that Fubara continued to sign documents as the Rivers State’s Accountant-General after he was nominated as the PDP governorship candidate for the election.
Delivering judgement on Thursday, the apex court, in a lead judgment delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, upheld the two separate judgements which earlier affirmed the victory of Governor Fubara in the March 18th election.
According to Saulawa, the appellant did not prove his allegations of over-voting, non-compliance as well as non-qualification of Fubara to contest the election.
“This appeal is grossly lacking in merit and liable to be dismissed and it is accordingly dismissed,” Justice Saulawa held.
Earlier, the court dismissed the appeal filed by Innocent Kere, candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the election.
