DSS Bars Journalists From Covering Sokoto Governorship Election Tribunal Judgment

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have barred journalists from covering the judgment of the Sokoto Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

The operatives who said they were working on directives from above only allowed journalists from the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), New Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and state-owned media journalists into the courtroom at the High Court, where the ruling is ongoing.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Ahmad Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the March 18 election.

Dissatisfied, Sa’idu Umar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headed for the court, asking that his opponent’s victory be annulled over alleged non-qualification and alleged electoral fraud.

The three-member panel of judges led by Justice Haruna Mshelia reserved judgment after both parties had the opportunity to present their final written addresses and announced that the judgment date would be communicated to the parties in September.

Umar alleges that Aliyu did not meet the qualification criteria and accuses the election of being tainted by electoral fraud during the March 18 governorship election.

A notice from the Secretary of the Election Petitions Tribunal, Sunday Martins, on Tuesday confirmed that the judgement in the case marked EPT/SK/GOV/01/2023 will be delivered on Saturday at 9 a.m.

It read, “Take notice that Petition No. EPT/SK/GOV/01/2023 will be coming up on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. for judgement.

“Counsel are advised to inform their clients that supporters would not be allowed into the court premises as movement would be highly restricted by the security agencies.”