A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division yesterday affirmed the election of Mr Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly elected governor of Bauchi State.
The court upheld the judgement of the governorship election petition tribunal which had earlier given judgment in favour of Mohammed and dismissed the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (retd).
Delivering the lead judgement, Justice Chidiebere Nwaoma Uwa dismissed the appellants’ appeal for lacking in merit.
She held that the appellants failed to prove their allegation of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Abubakar and his party had alleged that the electoral materials were not properly filled in eight local councils of the state.
However, the court said the appellants did not call officers of INEC, supervising and presiding officers, to give evidence to prove that the said forms were not filled and why.
The court held that though there were blank spaces in some of the forms produced as evidence, it was not substantial enough to cancel the election because the appellants failed to prove what should have been in those spaces.
“From the pleadings, the appellants failed to state the specific details, which were to be in the alleged forms that were not put on the forms,” the judge declared.
The judge said the tribunal did a thorough job in evaluating the evidence and that “the evidence of the petitioners were unreliable.”
“This appeal is hereby dismissed as the appellants failed to prove their case,” Justice Uwa ruled.
Reacting to the judgement, the deputy governor, Mr Mohammed Jatau said that the victory at the Appeal Court does not only affirm the strength of democracy, but solidifies the commitment of the government to the progress, development, and the general wellbeing of the good people of the state.
Besides, he said the victory at the court is a triumph for all the people of the state as it signifies the PDP-led administration’s collective endeavours in advancing good governance, providing quality education, ensuring accessible healthcare, fostering economic growth, and promoting peace and unity.
“The verdict is a testament to the efficacy of our justice system and its commitment to upholding the principles of justice, equity, and the rule of law. Our governor’s victory is a victory for progress, for the downtrodden, and for every citizen who has entrusted their hopes and dreams to our administration,” he said.
