By Chima Azubuike
The Gombe State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Tuesday, struck out petitions filed by the African Democratic Congress and its candidate in the just concluded 2023 poll, Nafiu Bala.
The party was challenging the election of Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, and his deputy, Manassah Jatau, of the All Progressives Congress.
Yahaya and Jatau were declared winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission as validly elected.
ADC had challenged the declaration and return of Yahaya based on alleged multiplicity and variations in the arrangement of names on the certificates of his deputy.
The three-man Justices struck the case, saying that “it first a pre-election matter, the deputy has met the minimum certificate requirement to run.”
The tribunal also struck out ADC’s allegations of corrupt practices and vote buying for lack of proof.
In the suit challenging the uploading of the results, the court upheld that there is no provision for INEC to do so.
Our correspondent reports that other judgments are underway one of which was instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate Jibrin Barde, with demand for fresh election in about four Local Government Areas.
Source: The Punch
