Kaduna State Gubernatorial Election Petition Tribunal has confirmed Governor Uba Sani’s victory, declaring the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Isah Mohammed Ashiru, null and void.
After an extensive five and a half-hour deliberation, the three-judge panel, led by Justice Victor Oviawie, alongside Justice K. Damlat and Justice N. Nonye, dismissed the petition due to a procedural issue. The panel ruled that the preliminary notice was filed beyond the constitutionally mandated seven-day period and was consequently considered abandoned.
Justice Victor Oviawie, while delivering a split judgment, emphasized that the preliminary notice was filed late, in violation of the constitution’s timeline. Justice N. Nonye concurred with this decision.
However, Justice K. Damlat held a differing opinion, asserting that the preliminary notice had been correctly filed and not abandoned.
Following the Supreme Court’s standing order, the Tribunal proceeded to evaluate the petition’s merits during the proceedings.
A majority decision, supported by Justices K. Damlat and N. Nonye, concluded that the petitioner successfully demonstrated that the election was invalid in 22 polling units across four local government areas. This was significant as the number of registered voters who had collected their PVCs in these four local governments exceeded the 10,806-vote margin by which Uba Sani had defeated Isah Ashiru, rendering the election inconclusive.
However, Justice Victor Oviawie dissented from this view, expressing doubt about the allegations of invalidity in the 22 polling units.
In response to the judgment, counsel for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sanusi Musa SAN, expressed satisfaction and noted that there were no grounds for an appeal, as the judgment favored their candidate, Governor Uba Sani.