The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld Nasir Idris as the duly elected Governor of Kebbi State, affirming his victory in the March 18 governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a ruling delivered on Friday, the Court of Appeal dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, retired Maj.-Gen. Aminu Bande. The appellate court stated that the petitioners failed to substantiate their allegations of forgery and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Justice Uzo Ndukwe-Anyannwu, who read the lead judgment, resolved all five issues identified for determination against the appellants and dismissed the case for lack of merit.
The court specifically addressed the allegations of forgery of testimonial made by the appellants against the Deputy Governor of the State, Abubakar Umar, stating that the accusations were unproven. Justice Ndukwe-Anyannwu affirmed that the tribunal’s decision to hold that Umar attended the secondary school he claimed was correct, emphasizing that there was sufficient evidence to support his attendance at Sultan Abubakar College, Sokoto.
The ruling further validated the earlier judgment of the state governorship election petition tribunal, which dismissed the petition brought by the PDP and upheld the election of Governor Nasir Idris of the APC in Kebbi state.
This verdict solidifies Nasir Idris’s position as the duly elected governor of Kebbi State, marking a legal resolution to the electoral dispute initiated by the PDP.
