Babatunji Wusu –
Following the 2023 general election in Nigeria, there has been a flurry of litigation, with numerous politicians contesting the outcome at various levels of the judiciary.
While the governorship election court cases are still being heard, some governors have emerged successful, and the appellate Court has ousted some governors who have filed a petition with the Supreme Court.
The following governors have prevailed at the Court of Appeal so far:
1. Sule, Abdullahi
The appellate court ruled in favor of Nasarawa state Governor Abdullahi Sule on Thursday, November 23, overturning the Tribunal decision that dismissed him in October.
Sule was fired by the Nasarawa state governorship election petition tribunal, which ruled David Ombugadu of the PDP the legitimate winner of the March 18 governorship election.
Two of the three judges on the panel concluded that the governor’s victory violated election law, while one disagreed. The lower Court’s decision, however, was overturned by the Appeal Court’s decision.
2. Alia Hyacinth
In March, Alia was declared the winner of the governorship race. However, Titus Uba, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Benue, filed a challenge to overturn Alia’s victory.
On November 20, Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi, who delivered the lead ruling, denied Uba’s claim of non-qualification leveled against the Deputy Governor, Samuel Ode.
Justice Otisi ruled that the PDP gubernatorial candidate failed to show beyond a reasonable doubt Ode’s fabrication of INEC Form EC9.
3. Yahaya Inuwa
On Thursday, November 23, the Appeal Court upheld the Gombe State Governorship Election Tribunal’s decision to dismiss the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) challenge.
PDP candidate Muhammad Jibrin Barde had opposed the re-election of All Progressives Congress (APC) Governor Yahaya.
The Court concurred with the Tribunal in its decision that the PDP’s argument lacked merit.
4. Babajide Sanwo-Olu
The state Court of Appeal confirmed Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, as the legitimate victors of the March 18 governorship election.
The appeals filed by Abdulazeez Adediran of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party were dismissed by the Court of Appeal due to a lack of merit.
5. Mbah, Peter
The Court of Appeal in Lagos State has also confirmed Peter Mbah, the PDP candidate, as the winner of the March 18 governorship election in Enugu.
The Court dismissed Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party (LP)’s electoral appeal for lack of merit. It upheld the ruling of the governorship election petition tribunal, which confirmed the PDP candidate’s victory.
According to the three-member panel led by Justice Tijani Yusuf Hassan, the Labour Party and Edeoga did not prove with evidence that the governor’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate was faked and that he was not qualified to vote in the election.
6. Otu, Bassey
The Lagos State division of the Court of Appeal has also upheld Governor Otu of Cross Rivers state’s victory in the March 18 governorship election. Similarly to Peter Mbah’s case, the Court dismissed Professor Sandy Onor of the PDP’s appeal for lack of merit, and the appellate Court confirmed the verdict of the state governorship election petition tribunal.
