By Samuel Itsede
The Supreme Court has affirmed Aminu Tambuwal of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the valid winner of the March 2019 governorship election in Sokoto State.
The apex court dismissed an appeal of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, Ahmed Sokoto, filed to challenge Tambuwal’s re-election.
A seven-man panel of justices of the court headed by Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammad, held that the appellant failed to adduce any credible evidence to prove his petition against the outcome of the governorship election.
Justice Musa Abba-Ajji who delivered the lead judgment noted that whereas the appellant produced 12 witnesses before the tribunal, 11 of them making their statements in the Hausa language while the English version was tendered in evidence.
It held that the appellant failed to tender the original version of the statements he tendered in evidence and also failed to produce the translator to confirm the authenticity or otherwise of the 11 statements.
Besides, the apex court held that the appellant was unable to prove that the election was invalid by virtue of non- compliance with the Electoral Act.
It held that he failed to discharge the onus placed on him by the law, and accordingly dismissed the appeal marked SC/1466/19.
