The Court of Appeal in Abuja has confirmed Nasir Idris as the duly elected Governor of Kebbi State, upholding his victory in the face of an appeal brought by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Aminu Bande.
In a judgment delivered on Friday evening, Justice Ndukwe Anyannwu, on behalf of the appellate court, dismissed the appeal, deeming it lacking in merit.
Justice Anyanwu, in a unanimous judgment, addressed five issues formulated for determination, ruling in favor of Governor Idris and against the PDP.
She specifically highlighted that the allegations of testimonial forgery against the Deputy Governor of the State, Abubakar Umar Tafida, were not substantiated as required by law.
Additionally, she refuted claims of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act during the election, stating that the appellants failed to prove how the alleged irregularities significantly impacted the election.
The affirmation by Justice Anyanwu aligned with the earlier judgment of the Kebbi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which had dismissed the PDP’s petition and upheld the legitimacy of Governor Idris’s election.
In related rulings, the Court of Appeal also affirmed the election victory of Governor Sani Uba of Kano State, overturning the tribunal’s decision to conduct supplementary polls in specific areas.
Furthermore, the election of Sheriff Oborevwori, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Delta State governorship poll, was upheld.
The three-member tribunal, led by Justice C.H. Ahuchaogu, dismissed the petition filed by Ovie Omo-Agege of the All Progressive Congress (APC), citing unsubstantiated allegations and a lack of merit.
