This is the summary of all the Supreme Court judgments today across the nation in a bid to try redeeming their battered image.
The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege against the return of Sheriff Oborevwori of the PDP as Governor of Delta State.
The former Deputy Senate President is challenging the return of the delta Governor on the grounds of non compliance to electoral act.
But in a lead judgment read by Justice John Okoro, the Supreme Court holds that the APC governorship candidate failed to discharge the burden of proof with respect to allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
MEANWHILE….
The apex court has dismissed the appeal filed by Mister Aminu Bande of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to challenge the election victory of Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State.
In its verdict on Friday, the panel of justices unanimously held that the appeal lacked merit and no cost was awarded.
Moreso…
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the appeal of PDP governorship candidate, Mr David Umbugadu challenging the election of governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.
The apex court in a unanimous decision ruled that the Judgment of the court of appeal cannot be faulted.
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had initially declared Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner with 347,209 votes, while David Ombugadu secured 283,016 votes.
However, Ombugadu and the PDP contested the results, alleging irregularities. The election petition tribunal, on October 2, voided Sule’s victory, declaring Ombugadu as the winner.
In response, Sule and the APC sought to overturn this decision.
Recall that the Court of Appeal, on November 23, rejected the tribunal’s verdict, affirming Sule’s election. Uchechukwu Onuemenam, delivering the lead verdict, criticised the tribunal for relying on legally inadmissible evidence.
The appellate court further held that Section 285(5) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended; Section 132(7) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Paragraphs 4(5) (6) and 14(2) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act; stipulates that every written statement on oath must be filed alongside the petition, within the statutorily allocated time.
The appellate court proceeded to strike out all the evidence and exhibits that were tendered before the tribunal by the eight witnesses.
It held that the evidence of the 12 remaining witnesses who testified for the PDP candidate were not sufficient to sustain the judgment of the tribunal.
Furthermore, the court criticised the tribunal’s deduction of 1,868 votes from the APC candidate, citing over-voting in four polling units. It argued that the petitioners failed to provide the necessary documents to prove over-voting.
The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of the governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun.
The appellants, Ladi Adebutu and the Peoples Democratic Party prayed the apex court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct fresh elections in the 99 polling units where elections were allegedly cancelled.
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The Appeal Court, Lagos Division, had in a split decision on November 24, 2023, affirmed Abiodun’s re-election.
The majority judgment delivered by Justice Joseph Ikyegh dismissed the appeal filed by the PDP and its governorship candidate.
Reading the lead judgement, Justice Tijani Abubakar dismissed the appeal.
It remains that of Rivers state….
Meanwhile, in all of these…. Shame on the INEC whose gross incompetence and corruption led to all of these charade of madness…
How can court be the one to be deciding the fate of Millions of electorates?
Why not scrap INEC and allow Judiciary conduct elections for Nigerians?Â
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