The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna has dismissed the second preliminary objection filed by Governor Uba Sani and the All Progressives Congress (APC) aimed at dismissing the petition brought forward by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Isah Mohammed Ashiru. The Tribunal’s decision marks a pivotal point in the ongoing legal battle surrounding the Kaduna State governorship election.
Governor Uba Sani and the APC, as the second and Thursday respondents in the case, had contended that the petitioners had abandoned their petition. However, the Tribunal firmly rejected this argument, clearing the way for the proceedings to focus on the main petition itself.
The crux of the matter lies in the PDP’s challenge to Uba Sani’s election as the Governor of Kaduna State, citing alleged irregularities and electoral fraud. The PDP asserts that its candidate, Isa Mohammed Ashiru, was the rightful winner of the election.
Throughout the hearing of the petition, the PDP and Ashiru brought forth 24 witnesses and presented compelling claims and supporting documents to substantiate their case. However, as the proceedings concluded, all parties presented their final written addresses before the Tribunal.
Governor Uba Sani’s legal team, led by former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, argued a surprising point. They asserted that the petitioners, in their efforts to challenge his victory, inadvertently aided in proving that he had indeed won the March 18 governorship election fairly and squarely. This argument centered on the admission of Bonett Gwazah, a senior system analyst (SSA) in the VR/ICT Department of INEC in Kaduna State, who served as a star witness for the petitioner.
In their own final address, the PDP and Ashiru contended that two conflicting election results had emerged from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the governorship election in the state. Ashiru’s lead counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, went further, alleging that INEC bore responsibility for the manipulation of election results. Additionally, they raised concerns about overvoting and abuse of electoral processes, seeking the reversal of the INEC declaration that produced Governor Uba Sani.
As the Tribunal delves deeper into the main petition, the legal battle continues to captivate the attention of both the political and legal spheres, with the outcome poised to have significant implications for the leadership of Kaduna State.
