Governorship Battles: PDP Victorious In 11 States, APC, LP Get 10, One, Six More To Go
The ruling All Progressives Congress has won a total of 10 states so far, following the judgments given by various election petition tribunals to determine suits filed against different candidates in the March 18 governorship elections.
The states won by the APC are Gombe, Cross River, Benue, Lagos, Kano, Ogun, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kebbi and Sokoto.
In Gombe, the tribunal affirmed the re-election of Muhammadu Yahaya as governor of the state.
According to Punch, on Tuesday, September 26, the state tribunal dismissed the petitions of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Jibrin Barde, and that of the African Democratic Congress and its candidate, Nafiu Bala.
In Cross River State, the tribunal sitting in Calabar, in its final judgment dismissed the petition brought by Prof. Sandy Onor against the election victory of Senator Bassey Otu as governor, and Peter Odey as deputy governor of the state.
The tribunal upheld Otu’s election, saying the petitioner’s case filed in Suit Number: EPT/CR/GOV/02/2023 lacked merit.
In Benue, the state election petition tribunal, on September 23, dismissed the petition by the candidate of the PDP, Titus Uba, filed against the election of Hyacinth Alia of the APC.
The tribunal also held that the allegation of forgery against the governor was a pre-election dispute that should be brought before the tribunal.
In Lagos, the governorship election tribunal upheld the victory of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, while dismissing Olajide Adediran (alias Jandor) and Rhodes-Vivour’s petitions.
Meanwhile, in Kano State, the tribunal ruled that the candidate of the opposition APC, Nasiru Gawuna, was the winner of the March 18 poll.
The incumbent governor of the state, Abba Yusuf, has, however, filed a notice of appeal challenging the judgment of the tribunal sacking him as governor.
In Ogun State, the governorship election petition tribunal affirmed the victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun as the winner of the March 18 governorship contest in the state, dismissing the petitions by PDP’s Ladi Adebutu.
On September 27, the Ebonyi State governorship election tribunal dismissed the petition filed by Bernard Odoh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and affirmed Francis Nwifuru as governor of the state.
Meanwhile, in Kaduna State, the governorship election petition tribunal upheld the victory of Uba Sani as the governor of the state.
The panel via Zoom ruled against the PDP and its candidate, Isah Ashiru, for premature filing of the application for pre-hearing.
Similarly, in Sokoto State, the tribunal affirmed the election of Ahmed Aliyu of the APC as the governor of the state.
Also, the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Birnin Kebbi, on Thursday, reaffirmed the election of Nasir Idris as the duly elected governor of Kebbi State.
The tribunal, in its ruling, dismissed the application filed by the PDP challenging the governorship election won by Idris of the APC, and his deputy, Abubakar Umar, describing the petitioner’s application as “lacking in evidential value”.
PDP wins 11
States won by the PDP so far are Plateau, Zamfara, Bauchi, Enugu, Nasarawa, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Taraba, Oyo, Adamawa and Rivers.
The Plateau State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal last week upheld the election of Caleb Mutfwang as the duly elected governor of the state.
The Zamfara State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Sokoto, the Sokoto State capital, also affirmed the election of Dauda Lawal of the PDP as the governor of the state.
In a judgment delivered on September 20, the Bauchi State tribunal affirmed Bala Mohammed’s election as governor, while in Enugu State, a similar judgment was delivered upholding the election of Peter Mbah of the PDP as governor of the state.
The tribunal in Nasarawa, in a split judgment, annulled the election of Governor Sule of the APC and declared David Ombugadu of the PDP the rightful winner of the election.
In Delta, the election of Sheriff Oborevwori of the PDP in the March 18 election was upheld by the tribunal, while the tribunal sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State dismissed a petition brought by the candidate of the APC, Akanimo Udofia, challenging the election of Pastor Umoh Eno of the PDP.
The tribunal sitting in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, affirmed the election of Agbu Kefas as the governor of the state. It dismissed the petition filed by the New Nigerian Peoples Party and its candidate, Prof Sani Yahaya for lacking in merit.
The tribunal in Oyo State affirmed the election of Seyi Makinde as governor of the state, and in the same vein, the Adamawa Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Yola upheld the election of Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDP as governor of the state.
The Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja dismissed petitions seeking to nullify the election of Governor Similayi Fubara of Rivers State.
In Abia, the state election tribunal affirmed the election of Governor Alex Otti, dismissing the petitions of the PDP, APC and the Young Progressives Party’s candidates.
They include Borno, Jigawa, Katsina, Kwara, Niger and Yobe states.
