RipplesMetrics: Tribunals determine who should be governors in 22 states, 6 pending

The general elections in February and March brought in a new president and 28 governors, 18 of whom were newly elected while 10 were re-elected during the polls.

However, Section 239 of the Nigerian Constitution provides for the establishment of election tribunals to hear and determine petitions challenging the results of elections to various offices. This section of the constitution extends to the president, governors, lawmakers of the national assembly and members of the state assembly in the respective states.

By this, the petition is supposed to be filed within 21 days after elections have been conducted and the tribunal is to deliver judgments within 180 days, translating to six months.

For instance, after the presidential elections that brought in President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress, the candidate of the People Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party, Peter Obi, filled their petitions to challenge the victory of the elected president but in September the election tribunal dismissed their cases.

This, according to data, is the sixth time petitions would be filed to a tribunal to challenge the victory of a president in Nigeria since 1999. However, the outcome has not been successful.

For this report, RipplesMetrics examined the petitions challenging the results of gubernatorial elections in March. As it stands, 22 judgements have been delivered by the election tribunals, while six judgements still stand out.

These states are Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara. Of all the 22 states’ judgements that have been passed, the election tribunal only reversed the announcement of two state governors. Kano and Nassarawa.

Meanwhile, judgements in six states have not been passed. These states are Katsina, Kwara, Niger, Borno, Jigawa, and Yobe.

States in the Southern region

In the southern region, the governorship candidate of both the APC, Ikechi Emenike and the PDP, Okey Ahiwe, challenged the election that brought in Alex Otti of the LP as the governor of Abia State. Delivering the judgement in Umuahia, the state capital, the chairman of the three-member Tribunal, Justice H.D.D. Gwada, said the petition lacked merit.

Also in Akwa Ibom, the APC candidate, Akanimo Udofia, challenges the victory of Umo Eno of the PDP alleging that he had submitted falsified documents to the electoral commission but the tribunal said that the petitioner did not provide sufficient evidence to back up his claim.

Similarly, the election tribunal in Cross River and Delta struck out the petition filed by the opposition party to uphold the victory of APC’s Bassey Otu and PDP’s Sherriff Oborevwori in the respective states. In Rivers State, the court upheld the victory of Siminalayi Fubara dismissing the petition of APC, LP and Accord Party (AP)

READ ALSO:RipplesMetrics: Tribunals determine who should be governors in 22 states, 6 pending

In Ebonyi State, the tribunal dismissed the petition against Francis Nwifuru of APC, filed by the candidates of PDP and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) while in Enugu state, the victory of Peter Mbah of the PDP was upheld by the tribunal despite the petition on the controversy around the governor’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate filed by the candidates of LP and Peoples Redemption Party, PRP.

In the south-west, the tribunal stuck out petitions challenging the re-elected governors of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states. Candidates of LP and PDP in Lagos challenged the victory of Babajide Sanwo-Olu of APC, but the tribunal dismissed it saying it lacked merits.

In Ogun, the court dismissed the petition of PDP’s Ladi, Adebutu challenging Dapo Abiodun of APC’s victory while in Oyo State petitions from APC, Action Alliance (AA) candidates and Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) were dismissed on the grounds of merits to uphold Seyi Makinde’s victory of the PDP.

States in the Northern region

In the northern region, The court struck out the petition of APC’s Bello Matawalle, the former governor of Zamfara State, challenging the victory of Duada Lawal of PDP saying it lacks merit and instructing the petitioner to a N500,000 to the Lawal.

However, on Thursday, the Appeal Court, which Matawalle had approached, declared the Zamfara governorship election inconclusive and ordered for fresh elections in three local government areas of the state to determine a rightful winner.

Also in Sokoto and Taraba states, the court affirmed the election of Ahmed Aliyu and Agbu Kefas of APC saying that the petition submitted to the tribunal by PDP lacked merit.

For Pleatue State, the court affirmed the victory of Caleb Mutfwang of the PDP as the state governor despite the petition filed by Nentawe Goshwe Yiltwada of the APC saying that Mutfwang was ineligible to run as a candidate under his party.

Similarly, in Kebbi and Kaduna states, the tribunal upheld the victory of Nasiru Idris and Uba Sani as the duly elected governors of both states despite the petition filed by the candidates of PDP in both states. The court said the petitions lacked merit.

While in Gombe state, the petition was filed by the PDP and its candidate, Mohammed Barde, against the victory of Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s victory but was dismissed by the tribunal over lack of merit. Also, the same judgement was passed to uphold the victory of Hyacinth Alia of the APC as the winner of the election in Benue state; Bala Mohammed in Bauchi state and Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri Adamawa state, both of the PDP.

Results reversed

However, the judgment by the tribunal given in Kano and Nassarawa states sacked the governors of both states.

The Election Petition Tribunal sacked the incumbent Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) as governor and declared the APC’s Nasir Gawuna as winner. The tribunal withdrew 165,663 votes ordering that the certificate of return issued should be given to Gawuna.

Also, in Nassarwa State, Abdullahi Sule of the APC as governor was sacked by the tribunal while David Ombugadu of the PDP was declared as the winner. Both governors have approached the Appeal Court for respite.

By James Odunayo

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