Nigeria’s Supreme Court rights more wrong, declares Lawal of Zamfara, others duly elected Governors
By KEMI KASUMU, IBRAHIM KANOMA (Gusau), OUR REPORTERS
In what looks like resolve to finally clense itself of the moral crisis caused it by the 2023 elections petitions tribunals and Courts of Appeal in some states, the Nigerian Judiciary rose to right the wrongs and end the week on good note when, on Friday January 12, 2024, the apex court disappointed members of the public – who no longer expected any justice from it – and truly delivered justice on Kano, followed by Zamfara and Bauchi states.
The apex court specifically ruled that Alhaji Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was duly elected as Governor of Zamfara State in the March 18, 2023 election thus setting aside the Court of Appeal’s judgment, which ordered the election that produced him inconclusive.
It had earlier also certified Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) as the duly elected Governor of Kano State.
Bauchi
The Nigerian Supreme Court also affirmed the election of Senator Bala Mohammed as the Governor of Bauchi State.
In November, the Court of Appeal affirmed the victory of Governor Mohammed in the March 18 governorship election.
Sadique Abubakar, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had filed an appeal after the election petition tribunal judgment upheld Governor Mohammed’s election.
One of the appellant’s pleas was that the election should be nullified, alleging that the forms and booklets used in the election were not properly filled.
However, the appeal court ruled that the appellant failed to prove this allegation with the necessary evidence.
Lagos
The Supreme Court dismissed the petition of Labour Party and affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal, which had upheld the re-election of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Delivering a lead judgment on Friday, Justice Garba Lawal, said the apex court panel unanimously held that the appeal by the Labour Party and its governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, was unmeritorious and therefore liable for dismissal.
The apex court said parties should bear their respective costs.
The judgement was on an appeal filed by the Labour Party and its governorship, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, challenging the re-election of Sanwo-Olu and his deputy.
Recall that the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, had on November 15, 2023, dismissed Rhodes-Vivour’s appeal, having affirmed the decision of the Lagos State Governorship Tribunal which upheld Sanwo-Olu’s re-election.
The Labour Party and it’s gubernatorial candidate had urged the court to allow the appeal and to set aside the decision of the tribunal and grant the reliefs sought.
The appellants also asked the court to interpret Section 182 (1) (a) of the Constitution and its implication to the qualification of 2nd and 3rd respondents.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Sanwo-Olu, winner of the governorship election having polled 762,134 votes to defeat his close challenger, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP), who scored 312,329 votes.
