The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the appeal brought by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate in the April 11, 2015 governorship election in Taraba State, Aisha Alhassan, for lack of merit.

By this ruling, Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, remains governor of Taraba State.

The apex court unanimously upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal that upturned the decision of the election tribunal, which declared Alhassan winner of the election.

Alhassan had challenged Ishaku’s election and gotten judgement at the tribunal, which ordered that she be issued a certificate of return and sworn in as governor, but Ishaku appealed the judgement at the Court of Appeal.

He challenged the tribunal’s ruling that his candidacy did not conform with the relevant laws because he was not duly nominated by his party, the PDP. The Court of Appeal agreed with his argument that the case was a pre-election matter, adding that as non-members of the PDP, Alhassan and her party were not qualified to challenge the validity or otherwise of the party’s primary.

Not satisfied, Alhassan, now Minister of Women Affairs, and her party headed to the Supreme Court, which dismissed her appeal.

The seven-man Supreme Court panel held that Alhassan’s appeal lacked merit.

“I am of the firm view that there is no merit in this appeal and it is hereby dismissed.

“The Jjdgment of the ‎Court of Appeal Abuja Division delivered on December 31, 2015 is affirmed and the election of governor Darius Ishaku is hereby upheld,” Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, who read the judgement, said.

The reason for the court’s decision is expected to be given on February 22.