BY ANKELI EMMANUEL,Sokoto –
The Sokoto Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has affirmed the electoral victory of Governor Ahmed Aliyu by dismissing the petition brought against him and his deputy Idris Gobir, by the PDP governorship candidate, Sa’idu Umar.
Giving unanimous judgement, at the Sokoto High Court, the 3 member Tribunal led by it’s Chairman, Justice Haruna Mshelia, said the Petitioners were unable to proved the six grounds formulated in the petition, hence dismissing the petition for lack of merit and inability to all the allegations.
Mshelia who contented that the petitioner alleged ineligibility for APC’s candidate, Ahmed Aliyu and his running mate, Idris Gobir to contest based on certificate falsification, variation of names, election frauds and non compliance with electoral guidelines could not be proved.
According to Mshelia, the allegations by PDP could not be proved beyond reasonable double as required by law, adding that 70 percent of the exhibits tendered were out of context as it only relates to State Assembly elections conducted on the same dates.
On the forgery allegation, the member panel of Justices, said until two different documents of a person is tendered, and the issue of variation in names was a settled Supreme Court provisions.
He also noted that the three subpoene witnesses were not tenable as they were not makers of the documents from the alleged primary school while other 28 polling units agenda testified could not produced identify themselves along with their roles.
Continuing, Justice Mshelia T said the alleged 138 polling units frauds were not adduced to indicate a substantial non compliance of the elections capable of altering the election outcome.
Recall that, the petitioner and Sokoto PDP Governorship candidate, Saidu Umar approached the Court to challenge the electoral victory of the APC candidate now governor, Ahmed Aliyu and his deputy, Idris Gobir over alleged non qualification, result falsification and electoral fraud during the March 18, 2023 governorship election, hence urging the Court to declare him winner of the poll.
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