Sokoto guber: Court of Appeal to hear PDP’s petition Tuesday

The Court of Appeal, sittings in Abuja will on Tuesday resume hearing on the appeal filed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State, Sai’du Umar, against Governor Ahmed Aliyu of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Recall that the three-man Election Petitions Tribunal led by Justice Haruna Msheila in an/ unanimous judgement delivered on September 30, 2023, dismissed the petitions of the PDP, saying the petitioners failed to prove the six grounds formulated in the petition.

He said the grounds bordered on alleged ineligibility for Aliyu and Gobir to contest, falsification of certificates, variation of names, election frauds and non compliance with electoral guidelines. 

He said Petitioners were unable to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt as required by law as 70 percent of exhibits were out of context because they relate to State Assembly elections conducted on the same dates.

According to him, to prove forgery; two different documents of persons needed to be presented while the variation of names issues was settled by supreme court provision.

He said three subpoena witnesses were not tenable as they were not makers of the documents from the alleged primary school while other 28 polling units’ agenda testified they could not identify themselves along with their roles.

The Tribunal Chairman said the alleged 138 polling units frauds were not adduced to indicate substantial non-compliance of the elections have marred the election outcome.

The spokesman of the PDP in the state, Hassan Sahhabi Sanyinawal, confirmed the development while speaking with our correspondent on telephone.

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