JUST IN: Supreme Court Affirms Electoral Victory Of Dapo Abiodun, 4 Other Governors

The Supreme Court, on Friday, upheld the re-election of Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State. The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel, dismissed as lacking in merit an appeal the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Ladi Adebutu, filed to challenge the outcome of the governorship poll held in the state on March 18, 2023.

In its lead judgement that was prepared by Justice Tijjani Abubakar, the apex court said it found no reason to nullify the election victory of Governor Abiodun, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC. The apex court upheld the earlier verdict of the Court of Appeal, which on November 22, 2023, dismissed the case the PDP and its candidate raised against the election.

“This appeal is unmeritorious, and it is accordingly dismissed,” the court held. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared that Governor Abiodun polled a total of 276,298 votes to defeat his closest rival, Adebutu of the PDP, who garnered a total of 262,383 votes.

DELTA
In a similar fashion in Delta State, the guber election of the former speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori was affirmed. The court dismissed the appeals by the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Ovie Omo-Agege, and the Labour Party and its candidate, Ken Pella, against the governor.

In the Omo-Agege appeal, the five-member panel led by Justice John Okoro said the appeal lacked merit and the appellant was unable to discharge the burden of proof placed on him. Pella’s appeal was also dismissed for lack of merit. The court of appeal in Lagos had affirmed the election of Oborevwori as the governor of Delta State, dismissing the appeals by the governorship candidates and their parties. Oborevwori polled 360,234 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Omo-Agege of the APC who scored 240,229.

NASARAWA
The Supreme Court, on Friday, affirmed the Court of Appeal judgement that voided the nullification of the election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State. The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel, upheld the declaration of Sule of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner of the governorship election that was held in the state on March 18, 2023.

In its lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, dismissed as lacking in merit, the appeal that was filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, David Ombugadu. It will be recalled that the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, in a two-to-one split judgement it delivered on October 2, 2023, nullified Governor Sule’s election and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue a fresh Certificate of Return to the PDP candidate.

The tribunal held that it was satisfied that Governor Sule was a beneficiary of over-voting that occurred in several polling units in the state. However, following an appeal that was lodged by the governor and his party, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, on November 23, reversed his sack and vacated the decision of the tribunal. The appellate court held that the tribunal erred in law when it concluded that Governor Sule did not win the majority of lawful votes that were cast in the election.

GOMBE
The Supreme Court has also upheld the judgments of the lower courts affirming the election of Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State. Jibrin Barde of the Peoples Democratic Party contested the outcome of the election.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had, in November 2023 affirmed the election of Yahaya as the governor. The appellate court held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of non-qualification, perjury, and certificate forgery raised in the petition.

The five-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun affirmed the concurrent judgement of the lower courts on the matter. She said she found nothing wrong with the judgment to warrant interference from the apex court.

KEBBI
In another similar fashion, the apex court has dismissed the appeal filed by Mister Aminu Bande of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to challenge the election victory of Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State.

In its verdict on Friday, the panel of justices unanimously held that the appeal lacked merit and no cost was awarded. In March 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the Kebbi gubernatorial election inconclusive owing to “massive vote cancellation and over-voting” in 20 of the 21 LGAs in the state.

The electoral commission later fixed April 15, 2023 for a supplementary election. At the end of the exercise, Idris, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), scored 409,225 votes to beat Aminu Bande of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 360,940 votes.