The Taraba Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Jalingo has upheld the election of Governor Agbu Kefas of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the governor of Taraba State. The three-man panel, led by Justice Ayo Sunmonu, dismissed the petition filed by the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) and its governorship candidate, Professor Yahaya Sani, due to lack of sufficient evidence.
In his ruling, Justice Sunmonu stated that the petitioners failed to provide substantial evidence to justify the relief they sought. He mentioned that the petitioner was unable to prove that the governor was not duly elected, thus rendering the petition meritless.
The governor’s counsel, Sam Adda, expressed satisfaction with the judgment, calling it a landmark decision.
The NNPP and its gubernatorial candidate had filed a petition seeking the cancellation of the election, citing irregularities as one of the grounds. They also requested the tribunal to order a fresh election in the state. In addition to the alleged irregularities, the party claimed non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 as a major reason for demanding the cancellation of the election.
The ruling of the tribunal reaffirms Governor Agbu Kefas as the legitimate governor of Taraba State and concludes the legal battle over the election.
[Keywords: Tribunal, Taraba Governorship Election, Agbu Kefas, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Governor, Election Petition, Jalingo, Justice Ayo Sunmonu, Relief, Evidence, Ruling, Petitioner, Landmark Judgment, Fresh Election, Irregularities, Electoral Act 2022, Legal Battle]
