The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Birnin Kebbi, on Thursday, reaffirmed the election of Comrade Nasiru Idris as the duly elected governor of Kebbi State.
The tribunal, in its ruling, dismissed the application filed by the Peoples Democratic Party challenging the governorship election won by the candidate of Idris of the All Progressives Congress, and his deputy, Abubakar Umar, describing the petitioner’s application as lacking in evidential value.
The three men panel of the Tribunal led by its Chairman, Justice Ofem Ofem, as well as Justice Celestina Dafe and Justice Daurabo Suleiman in their unanimous judgment said it was clear the Governor and his Deputy did not forge their school certificates and the APC did not manipulate the election as claimed by the PDP.
He said: “We have carefully examined the exhibits and agreed that there was no overvoting and forged certificates as claimed by the petitioners.
“They could not substantiate their evidence and it failed woefully.”
“I hereby uphold the election of the first and second respondents as duly elected Governor and Deputy Governor of Kebbi State,” the judge said.
The PDP governorship candidate, Aminu Bande, and his party had filed a petition before the tribunal marked Number EPT/BK/GOV/1/ 2023 challenging the victory of Idris, his deputy and the APC.
Reading his judgment, the tribunal chairman, Ofem, said the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC given sections 61,23 of the Electoral Act and regulations 1,3, 1, 6 and 1,4 shows INEC duly complied with the guidelines for the conduct of the election and as such the claims by the petitioners on malpractices in some polling units in the state lacks merit and have no evidential value.
Speaking while reacting to the judgment, counsel to INEC, Usman O. Sule (SAN) said he was happy the tribunal has vindicated INEC saying it complied with the election guidelines.
“They claimed the first and second respondents forged certificates but they failed to prove their evidence. Having carefully examined the exhibits it’s clear they didn’t forget their certificates,” he said.
He called on the parties in the petition to join hands together and make Kebbi a better State.
While addressing APC supporters at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi, Idris said his victory was a victory for democracy. He enjoined his opponents to join hands with him in his efforts to develop Kebbi State.
The PDP counsel, Barrister Nura Bello told journalists that the ruling is the first stage of the petition as there are still options open to the petitioners to proceed to the Court of Appeal.
Bello said, “We will go back to brief the petitioners, it’s their right to appeal the judgement. I will say there are so many discrepancies in the judgement”.
