THE Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by Aminu Bande of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the election of Kebbi state Governor Nasir Idris.
In its ruling on Friday, January 19, the panel of justices unanimously held that the appeal lacked merit.
The ICIR reported how Bande and the PDP had approached the Supreme Court, unsatisfied with the Appeal Court’s ruling affirming Idris as governor.
But the appellate court rejected the PDP and Bande’s appeal, ruling that it lacked merit.
The appellate court determined all five issues in favour of the governor and against the PDP in a majority decision read by Ndukwe Anyannwu.
The Kebbi state gubernatorial election, held on Saturday, March 18, was on Monday, March 20 declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The INEC returning officer Yusuf Sa’idu, a professor at Danfodio University in Sokoto, announced the development at the collation centre in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.
He said cancellations occurred across several registration areas (RAs) in 20 of the 21 local government areas in the state.
According to him, declaring the election inconclusive was in line with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.
Dissatisfied with the election outcome in which Idris was eventually declared the winner, Bande approached the state governorship election petitions tribunal.
He alleged that there was over-voting in some polling units and that Idris was not qualified to contest the election.
While the tribunal deducted 1,735 votes from APC and over 900 votes from PDP’s results, these deductions did not affect Idris’ victory.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M