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Supreme Court Reserves Judgment in Nasarawa and Kebbi Governorship Disputes
The legal tussle over the governorship seats of Nasarawa and Kebbi states reached a crucial juncture as the Supreme Court reserved judgment on the appeals related to these electoral disputes.
In the Nasarawa State case, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ombugadu, called on the Supreme Court to declare him the rightful winner of the March 18, 2023, election. His claim was rooted in allegations of over-voting during the election. Ombugadu contested the decision of the Court of Appeal, which had validated the re-election of Governor Abdullahi Sule, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), overturning the nullification of the election by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
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Ombugadu argued that the Court of Appeal erred in recomputing the election results in favor of Governor Sule and insisted that the Supreme Court should uphold his victory. He emphasized that Governor Sule did not dispute the authenticity of the documents he presented at the tribunal and the Court of Appeal.
Simultaneously, the Supreme Court heard an appeal filed by Major General Aminu Bande and the PDP in Kebbi State. They sought to set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had affirmed the election of Governor Nasir Idris, as earlier declared by the election tribunal.
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During the proceedings, lawyers representing the appellants argued passionately for the Supreme Court to allow the appeals, set aside the judgments of the lower courts, and reinstate the decisions of the respective election tribunals. On the other side, lawyers representing the respondents, including Governors Sule and Idris, urged the court to dismiss the appeals, asserting that the decisions of the lower courts were well-founded and should be upheld.
In both cases, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, leading a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, reserved judgment. The court’s decision in these appeals is anticipated to have implications for other related appeals involving the governorship disputes in Nasarawa and Kebbi states. As stakeholders await the judgment, the legal and political landscapes in these states remain under scrutiny.