The Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Aminu Abdullahi Alkali, exudes confidence in the potential victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Kefas Agbu as the Supreme Court reserves judgment on the hotly contested March 18, 2024 gubernatorial election.
Present at the Supreme Court to witness the proceedings in the appeal filed by the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and its governorship candidate, Prof Yahaya Sani, the deputy governor expressed trust in the judicial process, asserting that justice would prevail.
The lead counsel to Agbu and PDP, Kanu Agabi, SAN, urged the apex court to strike out the appeal, citing its lack of merit and substance. In response, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) supported the governor’s legal team’s arguments, emphasizing the resolution of the gubernatorial election dispute.
However, the NNPP and Sani’s lead counsel, Olusegun Jolaawo, SAN, appealed to the Justices to consider the case of his clients and grant the reliefs they are seeking.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja had previously affirmed the election of Kefas Agbu as the governor of Taraba State. The appellate court ruled in favor of Agbu, highlighting the appellants’ failure to provide substantial evidence of non-compliance, irregularities, and malpractices in accordance with the law.
Justice Peter Affen, delivering a unanimous judgment, faulted the appellants for presenting incomplete documents and stressed the necessity of oral evidence to substantiate their allegations.
The Court of Appeal deemed the appeal incompetent and lacking in merit due to the incomplete transmission of the proceedings.
This legal battle traces back to the Taraba State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s dismissal of the NNPP and its governorship candidate’s petition on September 30, 2023, for lacking merit, underscoring the protracted and contentious nature of the gubernatorial election dispute.
