The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Sokoto State governorship in the 2023 general elections, Sai’du Umar, has taken his case to the highest court in the land. Umar has filed nine grounds of appeal against the judgments of the Elections Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal at the Supreme Court.
The appeal, which has been made public by the candidate’s media assistant, Nafiu Lema, outlines the arguments put forward by Umar and the PDP. Their legal team, led by Mr. Sunday Ameh, SAN, has presented the claim that “the judgment of the Court of Appeal is against the weight of evidence” and should therefore be set aside by the apex court.
The Court of Appeal had previously ruled unanimously that the appellants failed to substantiate allegations of irregularities, non-compliance, and non-qualification. Justice Mbaba Bassi, delivering the lead judgment, emphasized that the tribunal was justified in dismissing evidence of non-compliance and other alleged irregularities due to the incompetence of the witnesses presenting the evidence. The failure to list and front-load the statements of the witnesses was also considered detrimental to the appellants’ case.
The three-member election petitions tribunal, led by Justice Haruna Msheila, had similarly dismissed the petitions of the PDP in a unanimous judgment delivered on September 30. The tribunal stated that the petitioners failed to prove the six formulated grounds, which encompassed alleged ineligibility for the candidates to contest, falsification of certificates, variation of names, election fraud, and non-compliance with electoral guidelines.
In light of these developments, the Supreme Court has been petitioned to re-evaluate the case and set aside the judgments of the lower courts. Umar and the PDP are seeking to overturn the decisions and secure a favorable outcome in their quest for justice.
This legal saga continues to unfold, with the eyes of the nation fixed on the proceedings at the Supreme Court. As the appeal progresses, the ramifications could prove to be far-reaching for the political landscape of Sokoto State.
