Sokoto governorship election petition tribunal holds off judgment in forgery case
Politics

Sokoto governorship election petition tribunal holds off judgment in forgery case

The Sokoto Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has announced the deferment of its judgment in the petition against Governor Ahmed Aliyu and Deputy Idris Gobir, which was filed by Sa’idu Umar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Following the submission and acceptance of their respective final written arguments on Saturday, the panel of three justices, led by Haruna Mshelia, declared that a specific date for the judgment would be communicated to all parties in September.

In the petition, Sa’idu Umar of the PDP challenges the victory of Governor Aliyu from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Gobir, alleging electoral fraud and non-qualification during the March 18 governorship election.

During the hearing, Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro SAN, the lead counsel for the petitioner, urged the tribunal to consider the evidence and testimonies provided by party agents that exposed significant irregularities in the election, particularly marred by violence.

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Akinboro emphasized discrepancies in Governor Aliyu’s educational certificates as opposed to those presented by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The petitioner’s counsel referred to various documents, including school registers and letters, to substantiate their claims of non-qualification.

Akinboro presented multiple witnesses and documents to support the petitioner’s case, while also urging the tribunal to dismiss preliminary objections on the case’s competency and objections regarding document admissibility.

Both the petitioner’s and respondent’s counsels presented their final arguments, with the latter advocating for the dismissal of the petition.

The respondents, represented by Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN and Mr. Hassan Liman SAN, contested the allegations and defended the qualification of Governor Aliyu.

Ultimately, the tribunal will decide whether to uphold Governor Aliyu’s election or rule in favor of the petitioner, potentially necessitating a new election or a reissuance of the certificate of return.