Suspense as Nasarawa, Kebbi Awaits Supreme Court’s Verdict on Guber Polls

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Any moment from now the Supreme Court would deliver its judgments in two separate governorship appeals involving Nasarawa and Kebbi States.

A five-member panel of the apex court on Tuesday said its judgment in the two separate appeals filed by candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would be delivered on a date to be communicated to parties in the appeals.

Presiding Justice, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun made the announcement shortly after counsel to all parties adopted and argued their briefs of arguments in the case.

The first to be heard was that of the appeal against the election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.

The PDP and its governorship candidate in the March 18, 2023, governorship election Hon. David Ombugadu, had approached the apex court to set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had nullified the judgment of the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, and declared him the authentic winner of the governorship poll in the state.

The appellants through his team of lawyers led by Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, submitted that the appellate court erred in law in reversing the decision of the tribunal.

Agabi subsequently prayed the apex court to “allow the appeal, set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal and restore the judgment of the tribunal” which declared his client as the authentic winner of the election.

However, Governor Sule, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) through their respective lawyers urged the court to dismiss the appeal for lacking merit.

After taking arguments from lawyers, Justice Kekere-Ekun announced that judgment has been reserved and that the date for its delivery would be communicated to parties involved.

Meanwhile, in the Kebbi case, PDP and its candidate, Aminu Bande, urged the apex court to allow their appeal and set aside the concurrent judgments of the Court of Appeal and tribunal, that affirmed the election of Nasir Idris of the All progressives Congress (APC) as Kebbi State Governor.

The respondents counsel, however, urged the court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit and uphold the judgments of the lower courts that upheld the election.