Supreme Court affirms elections of Aliyu, Fubara, Kefas as Sokoto, Rivers, Taraba Governors

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Supreme Court as affirmed elections of Ahmed Aliyu, as Sokoto governorPublished on January 25, 2024By Matthew Atungwu
The Supreme Court yesterday affirmed the election of Ahmed Aliyu, Siminalayi Fubara and Danladi Kefas as Governors of Sokoto State, Rivers and Taraba states.
The judgements were delivered in favour of the sitting Governors yesterday in Abuja.
Delivering judgment in Sokoto appeal, Justice Tijani Abubakar dismissed the appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), and its governorship candidate, Saidu Umar.
On Rivers state a five-member panel of the Supreme Court upheld Fubara’s election victory as duly elected Governor of the state.
The panel in the lead judgment delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa affirmed Fubara’s election shortly after it dismissed the appeal by Tonye-Cole for being incompetent and lacking in merit.
According to Saulawa, the appellant did not prove his allegations of over-voting, non-compliance as well as non-qualification of Fubara to contest the election.
“This appeal is grossly lacking in merit and liable to be dismissed and it is accordingly dismissed”, Justice Saulawa held.
The apex court subsequently affirmed the concurrent judgments of the two lower courts which earlier dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), in the 2023 elections in Rivers State, Patrick Tonye-Cole, had challenged Fubara’s victory in the poll.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), had declared Fubara as the winner of the election.
Similarly, the apex Court affirmed the election of Agbu Kefas as the Governor of Taraba State.
Delivering judgment, Justice Lawal Garba dismissed the appeal by the New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP), and its governorship candidate, Yahaya Sani, for filing an incomplete record of appeal.
The Appellants had approached the Supreme Court, praying it to set aside the judgement of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which affirmed Kefas’ election victory.
The appellate court, had, in the judgement it delivered on November 28, 2023, dismissed the appeal by the NNPP and its candidate as lacking in merit.
The court held that it found no reason to vacate the verdict of the Taraba State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had on September 30, 2023, declared Kefas of the PDP as the bonafide winner of the gubernatorial poll.