In a landmark ruling on Friday, the Supreme Court put an end to the legal battle over the governorship election in Bauchi State, as it affirmed the victory of Governor Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The apex court, in a unanimous judgement delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, dismissed the appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Sadique Abubakar, who challenged the declaration of Governor Mohammed as the winner of the March 18, 2023 poll.
The appellants had argued that the election was marred by irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022, alleging that several electoral documents were not duly completed.
However, their case was thrown out by both the Bauchi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Jos, which upheld the validity of Governor Mohammed’s election.
Not satisfied with the decisions of the lower courts, the APC candidate approached the Supreme Court, claiming that his case and the evidence he presented were not properly assessed by the tribunal.
But the Supreme Court, in a swift and decisive verdict, dismissed his appeal for lacking merit, saying it saw no reason to interfere with the judgements of the lower courts.
The court, in a five-member panel headed by Justice Inyang Okoro, resolved all the issues raised by the appellants in favour of the respondents.
With this ruling, the Supreme Court has put a final seal on the electoral victory of Governor Bala Mohammed, who can now focus on delivering his campaign promises to the people of Bauchi State.