Tribunal reserves judgment in suit challenging Sokoto gov election

Forum 8 months ago

Tribunal reserves judgment in suit challenging Sokoto gov election

The Sokoto Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has reserved judgment in the petition against Governor Ahmed Aliyu and his dep, Idris Gobir, filed by Sa’idu Umar of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The tribunal’s Chairman, Justice Haruna Mshelia, reserved judgment after the parties adopted their final written addresses on Saturday, adding that a date would be communicated to the parties in September.

Umar is challenging the election of Governor Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress and Gobir over alleged non-qualification and electoral fraud during the March 18 governorship election.

At the sitting, the lead counsel for the petitioner, Aare Akinboro SAN, urged the tribunal to consider the evidence and witnesses from party agents that proved gross irregularities in the election, mostly marred by violence.

Akinboro argued that the evidence showed a discrepancy in Aliyu’s secondary school and university certificates.

He prayed the tribunal to take cognisance of the school register of Town Primary School, Sabon Birni, from 1986 to 1987 and a letter from Town Model Primary School in the Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

He highlighted that records of all registered schools in Sabon Birni from the Federal Ministry of Education, State Universal Basic Education Board, and Local Government Education Authority and other related exhibits should be perused.

Akinboro argued that the petitioners had successfully established facts in proof of all the grounds as 32 competent witnesses that included Independent National Electoral Commission officials, the state PDP chairman, the headmaster of Town Model Primary School, Sabon Birni, and others were presented.

He further urged the tribunal to dismiss all the preliminary objections on competency to institute the case.

He also urged the tribunal to disregard objections on the admissibility of documents tendered as they were relevant and germane.

The petitioner’s counsel said that based on the submissions, the respondents at the time of the election were not qualified to contest the election and prayed that on the grounds of the non-qualification, votes were wrongfully attributed to them.He prayed the tribunal to void Aliyu’s election and declare Umar the winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election.

Petitioners also prayed the tribunal to mandate INEC to issue a new certificate of return to the petitioner as the duly elected governor of Sokoto State, having scored the majority of the lawful votes cast, or order another election, excluding the respondents.

However, the respondents’ counsel led by Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, disagreed with the arguments and urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition.

Olanipekun averred that relevant documents and right witnesses had been presented in line with guiding laws.