The post-election tussle in Rivers, Taraba and Sokoto States ended on Thursday after the Supreme Court dismissed the appeals challenging the election victory of governors Siminalayi Fubara, Agbu Kefas and Ahmed Aliyu.
Delivering judgements in separate appeals against the three governors, the court noted that the challengers were not convincing enough to have the judgements delivered in their favour.
Justice Ibrahim Saulawa vetoed the appeal by Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress, APC, against the election of Fubara.
He said Cole was unable to substantially prove his allegation that the election was not conducted according to the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Justice Garba Lawal defended the election of the Peoples Democratic Party’s, PDP, Kefas as Taraba State governor.
He dismissed the appeal by the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, and its governorship candidate, Yahaya Sani, saying that “the issues raised by the NNPP have no foundation.”
Similarly, the apex court in another judgement delivered by Justice Tijjani Abubakar, thrashed the appeal by Saidu Umar of the PDP and upheld the election of Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State.
The decisions of the Supreme Court in the different cases were greeted with jubilation by the supporters of the governors in their respective States.
The court’s decision has brought the number of governors whose election in the 2023 general elections was acknowledged by the courts to 20.
Although, the governorship election took place in 28 states of the federation, only 21 states’ cases got to the apex court, and the only pending case is that of Adamawa State, between Senator Aishatu Dahiru Benani of the APC and Ahmad Fintiri of the PDP.
