By Christiana Ekpa
The gubernatorial candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) for Taraba State in the 2023 general election, Professor Sani Yahaya, has rejected the recent judgment of the appeal court in Abuja.
The candidate who has resolved to proceed to the Apex court to seek redress, said he is optimistic about reclaiming the mandate given to him by Tarabans.
Speaking at a media briefing in Jalingo, the state capital, he criticized the judgments of both the tribunal and the appeal court, labelling them a miscarriage of justice and lacking fairness.
The Appeal Court had dismissed his case, which contested the verdict of the gubernatorial election petition tribunal upholding Governor Agbu Kefas’s election.
Expressing his discontent to take the battle to the Apex Court, he urged his supporters to remain calm by eschewing acts capable of igniting dust.
Determined to reclaim what he believes is his mandate, he said he was optimistic that the Supreme Court will not tow the paths of the tribunal and that of the Appeal Court.
The Professor who said he had approached the appeal court with the expectation of receiving justice, expressed disappointment that his appeal was dismissed.
The court, it would be recalled, cited the absence of some pages from the proceeding papers of the tribunal as grounds for its decision.
Professor Yahaya clarified that the proceedings papers were thoroughly examined by lawyers and said it was the secretary of the tribunal who was legally responsible for presenting them to the appeal court.
“Shockingly, during the presentation, eight crucial pages were found to be missing, the secretary, when questioned by the court, admitted her mistake and sought permission to retrieve the missing pages.
Upon returning with the pages accompanied by an affidavit, the court accepted and adopted the documents after cross-examination by counsels for both parties involved.
Despite these efforts to rectify the situation, the appeal court still dismissed my appeal based on the missing pages.” He lamented.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
