Taraba Tribunal Upholds Kefas as Governor and Dismisses NNPP Petition
Kefas , The Taraba State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which met in the state capital of Jalingo on Saturday, upheld the election of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governor Agbu Kefas after the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) governor candidate Prof. Sani Yahaya and his party filed a petition with the tribunal after Kefas and the PDP won the election.
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The petitioner addressed the Tribunal on the grounds that the governorship election held on March 18, 2023 was grossly rigged with alleged over-voting, INEC’s breach of the Electoral Act, and the alleged diversion of votes belonging to him and the NNPP to Kefas and the PDP.
Kefas’ victory was therefore contested by the NNPP candidate, who wished to acknowledge him as the election’s rightful winner.
The petition was, however, denied by the Tribunal’s three-member panel, which was presided over by Justics GA Sumonu, for a lack of evidence.
Justice Sumonu read the judgment and observed that Prof. Yahaya was unable to fully address most of the allegations leveled against INEC and Governor Kefas.
“The petitioners have failed to give this honorable Tribunal with concrete evidence demonstrating how the election was rigged and justifying the declaration of the NNPP candidate as the victor in the governorship election held on March 18, 2023.
The petitioner was unable to show the grounds for an overvote, the Tribunal chairman found, so the petition is hereby dismissed for lack of merit.
However, shortly after the verdict, Prof. Sani Yahaya chose not to react, and Governor Kefas referred to his victory in the Tribunal as a victory of the people’s will.
In an address made through his Special Adviser for Media and Digital Communications, Emmanuel Bello, the governor asked the citizens of the state and others to embrace the majority Tarabian’s desire, referring to it as God’s creation.
“This triumph belongs only to the Taraba people and all democratic allies. “I commend the Judiciary for remaining true to their calling and upholding what is right and just,” the governor was reported as saying by the press.
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