In a series of significant rulings, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has announced decisive judgments in the gubernatorial elections of Abia, Kano, Lagos, and other states, resolving longstanding disputes and affirming the outcomes of the polls.
Abia State: Dr. Alex Otti Confirmed as Governor
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court declared Dr. Alex Otti as the duly elected governor of Abia State. Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, while delivering the judgment, dismissed the appeal against Mr. Otti’s victory, asserting that the appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lacked merit.
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The apex court said that the PDP did not have the right to question Otti’s nomination by the Labour Party, stating that the party was “crying more than the bereaved” in this case.
The appeals were filed against Otti by Okey Ahiwe of the PDP and Ikechi Emenike of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had previously declared Otti as the winner, after he secured 175,466 votes in the gubernatorial poll held on March 18, 2023, defeating his closest rival, Mr. Ahiwe of the PDP.
The Abia State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal had earlier dismissed the petitions against Otti’s victory, affirming the credibility of the election. The Supreme Court’s verdict now solidifies Dr. Alex Otti’s position as the authentic governor of Abia State.
Lagos State: Sanwo-Olu’s Victory Upheld
In Lagos State, the Supreme Court has unanimously affirmed the victory of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the March 18, 2023, gubernatorial election. Justices Lawal Garba and Adamu Jauro delivered the judgment, dismissing two separate appeals challenging Sanwo-Olu’s victory.
Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP) and Abdulazeez Adediran (Jandor) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came second and third, respectively, had contested the election results, alleging irregularities and non-qualification of Sanwo-Olu’s deputy due to dual citizenship.
Both the tribunal and the Court of Appeal had earlier dismissed the appeals for failure to substantiate the allegations. The Supreme Court concurred, asserting that the acquisition of a foreign nationality does not disqualify a citizen by birth from contesting elections.
Kano State: Abba Kabir Yusuf Restored as Governor
In Kano State, the Supreme Court also reinstated Abba Kabir Yusuf as the governor, nullifying the Appeal Court’s judgment that declared Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the elected governor.
The apex court held that both the Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal erred in sacking Yusuf, the candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), as governor. INEC had initially declared Yusuf the winner of the March 18, 2023, gubernatorial election.
Gawuna, the APC candidate, contested the outcome, alleging electoral malpractices. The lower courts nullified Yusuf’s victory, leading him to appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, led by Justice Okoro, held that the tribunal wrongly deducted votes from Yusuf’s results and reinstated all the ballots to Governor Yusuf.
Apart from Abia, Kano, and Lagos, the apex court also delivered judgments in the cases of Plateau, Nassarawa, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Cross River, and Zamfara states, delivering favorable verdicts for incumbent governors.
However, the Supreme Court rulings deciding the fate of governors in more than 10 states underscore the decried political trajectory in Nigeria, where the courts, not the people, choose a significant number of political office holders.