The Kaduna Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Kaduna, has announced its decision to declare the Kaduna governorship election inconclusive. This comes following a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Isah Mohammed Ashiru, challenging the victory of Uba Sani from the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 governorship election held on March 18, 2023.
In a split verdict with a ratio of 2:1, the three-member tribunal panel led by Justice Victor Oviawe determined that the election was inconclusive. Consequently, they directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a supplementary election within 90 days.
The move to the tribunal was initiated by the Peoples Democratic Party, contesting the election of Uba Sani as the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State. The PDP based its case on allegations of irregularities and electoral fraud, claiming that their candidate, Isa Mohammed Ashiru, was the rightful winner of the election.
The tribunal’s ruling specifies that INEC should organize the supplementary election in seven wards, spanning four local government areas and encompassing 24 polling units, which collectively represent 16,300 registered voters.
Throughout the course of the petition, the PDP and Ashiru presented 24 witnesses and submitted various claims and documents to substantiate their case.