The Sokoto Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has ruled in favor of Governor Ahmed Aliyu and his Deputy, Idris Gobir, dismissing the petition filed against them by Sa’idu Umar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr. Umar had challenged the election of Governor Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Mr. Gobir, alleging non-qualification and electoral fraud during the March 18, 2023 governorship election.
In a unanimous judgment, the Tribunal Chairman, Justice Haruna Mshelia, stated that the petitioners failed to prove the six grounds formulated in the petition.
The Grounds for Dismissal
According to Justice Mshelia, the grounds of the petition were based on alleged ineligibility for Aliyu and Gobir to contest, falsification of certificates, variation of names, election fraud, and non-compliance with electoral guidelines.
However, the petitioners were unable to provide sufficient evidence to support their claims. Justice Mshelia noted that 70% of the exhibits presented were unrelated to the governorship election and instead pertained to State Assembly elections conducted on the same dates.
Furthermore, to prove forgery, two different documents or persons must be presented, which the petitioners failed to do. The issue of variation of names was settled by provisions of the Supreme Court.
Additionally, three subpoened witnesses were deemed invalid as they were not directly involved in the alleged primary school documents. Moreover, the 28 polling unit agents who testified could not fully identify themselves or their roles.
Lastly, the alleged 138 polling units’ frauds were not proven to have significantly affected the outcome of the election.
Dismissal of Preliminary Objections
The tribunal also dismissed all preliminary objections raised by the respondents regarding the competence to institute the case. According to Justice Mshelia, the petitioners successfully linked the grounds in the petition, validating their right to bring the case to the tribunal.
In conclusion, the petition was dismissed for lack of merit and the failure to prove the allegations put forth by the petitioner, Sa’idu Umar of the PDP.
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