The Supreme Court has rejected the appeal lodged by Isah Ashiru, the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), contesting the victory of Governor Uba Sani in the Kaduna State election.
The apex court upheld the decisions of the lower courts, namely the tribunal and the court of appeal, which had earlier affirmed Uba’s success in the March 2023 governorship election.
The unanimous judgment did not impose any costs.
Approximately two months ago, the appellate court validated Uba’s triumph in the governorship election, dismissing Ashiru’s objections. The three-man panel of the appellate court asserted that the tribunal erred by relying on inadmissible evidence to mandate supplementary polls in 22 polling units across four local government areas, where the election was deemed inconclusive.
The court noted that a crucial witness presented by the PDP during the tribunal proceedings provided hearsay evidence, as he was not present when the alleged malpractices, such as deduction of votes, ballot box stuffing, and mutilation of sensitive electoral materials, purportedly occurred.
Additionally, the court concurred with the tribunal’s dismissal of the PDP and Isa Ashiru because the petitioners failed to apply for the issuance of a pre-hearing information sheet after the close of pleadings, as mandated by paragraph 18(1) of the first schedule to the Electoral Act 2022.
