UBA SANI’S APPOINTMENT AS GOVERNOR OF KADUNA HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY AN APPEALS COURT.

Babatunji Wusu –

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the legitimately elected Governor of Kaduna State.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the legitimately elected Governor of Kaduna State.

A three-judge panel dismissed the appeal brought by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Isa Ashiru against Governor Sani’s election victory on Friday.

The appeals court ruled that the PDP candidate submitted witnesses to the Tribunal who provided “hearsay” and “ridiculous” evidence.

Remember that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared that Sani received 730,002 votes to win the state election on March 18, while Ashiru received 719,196 votes.

However, Ashiru and the PDP filed a petition with the Kaduna State Election Petition Tribunal, alleging INEC of enabling anomalies and electoral fraud in the governor’s favor.

According to Ashiru, the election was marred by noncompliance with the Electoral Act, and the governor did not receive a majority of the lawfully cast votes.

Ashiru had urged the Tribunal to declare him the winner of the gubernatorial election based on the majority of valid ballots cast. He also requested that the Tribunal order a new election in places where polls were canceled.

Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN), the governor’s main counsel, stated that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations during the case’s procedures.

In its decision on September 28, the Tribunal supported Sani’s legal team’s preliminary objection filed against Ashiru’s petition, stating that the PDP candidate’s motion for pre-hearing notice was filed prematurely and abandoned.

Following the preliminary objections of the governor and the APC, the tribunal dismissed the PDP’s appeal immediately, but looked into the merits of the case as they related to the margin of victory between the two leading candidates.

The tribunal later annulled Sani’s election by a 2 to 1 vote, ruling the gubernatorial election inconclusive.