20th January, 2020
The Supreme Court has affirmed Aminu Tambuwal of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the winner of the last governorship election in Sokoto State.
The apex court gave its ruling on Monday after dismissing an appeal filed to challenge Tambuwal’s re-election by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto for lacking in merit.
A seven-man panel of justices of the court led by Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammad, held that the appellant failed to present any credible evidence to support his petition against the outcome of the governorship election.
The Sokoto State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had on Oct. 2, 2019, dismissed the petition against Tambuwal.
But dissatisfied with the tribunal judgment, the APC, through its lead counsel, Dr Alex Iziyon (SAN) appealed the judgment on three grounds of non-compliance with electoral laws, over-voting and other irregularities.
However, Justice Musa Abba-Ajji who delivered the lead judgement on Monday noted that Ahmed Aliyu produced 12 witnesses before the tribunal, 11 made their statements in Hausa language while the English version was tendered in evidence.
The apex court also stated that that the appellant failed to tender the original version of the statements he tendered in evidence and also failed to produce the translator to confirm the authenticity of the 11 statements.
The apex court held that the appellant was unable to prove that the election was invalid by virtue of non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
The apex court also held that he failed to discharge the onus placed on him by the law, and accordingly dismissed the appeal marked SC/1466/19.