Supreme Court upholds Aliyu’s victory as Sokoto Governor

The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Ahmed Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as Governor of Sokoto State.

The Court dismissed the appeal filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sai’du Umar, against the concurrent judgments of the Sokoto State Election Petitions Tribunal and Court of Appeal, Abuja, which upheld the election of Aliyu

Umar had contested Aliyu’s victory, alleging certificate forgery and electoral irregularities. He specifically claimed that the governor and his deputy lacked school leaving certificates. Both the Sokoto State Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Abuja had earlier upheld Aliyu’s election victory.

The Court of Appeal, led by Justice Ita George Mbaba, dismissed the appeal, affirming that Aliyu’s legal team presented evidence demonstrating his education up to the secondary school level. The appellate court also agreed with the Tribunal that the witnesses presented by the PDP were incompetent.

During the Supreme Court hearing, Umar’s legal team reiterated their claims, emphasizing certificate forgery among other issues. However, Chief Wole Olanipekun, leading Aliyu’s defense, urged the Supreme Court to either strike out or dismiss the appeal for lacking merit.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Tijani Abubakar, the Supreme Court concurred with the lower courts, affirming the decision of the trial Tribunal.

Justice Abubakar declared the appeal devoid of merit and subsequently dismissed it. This ruling solidifies Ahmed Aliyu’s position as the legitimate Governor of Sokoto State.