List Of Governors Who Have Won At Court Of Appeal So Far

The aftermath of the 2023 general election in Nigeria has witnessed a series of litigations, with many politicians challenging the election outcome at various levels of the judiciary.

Naija News reports that while the governorship election court cases are ongoing, some governors have emerged victorious, and the appellate Court has sacked some governors who have headed to the Supreme Court.

Below is the list of governors who have won at the Court of Appeal so far:

1. Abdullahi Sule

The Nasarawa state Governor, Abdullahi Sule, was favoured by the appeal court on Thursday, November 23, as the Court reversed the Tribunal judgment that sacked him in October.

The Nasarawa state governorship election petition tribunal had sacked Sule and declared David Ombugadu of the PDP the authentic winner of the March 18 governorship election.

Two of the three judges on the panel agreed that the governor’s victory was not in line with electoral law, while a panel member disagreed. However, the lower Court’s decision was overturned by the verdict of the Appeal Court.

2. Hyacinth Alia

Alia was declared the winner of the governorship election that was held in March. However, Titus Uba, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue, filed a petition challenging Alia’s victory.

Justice Onyekachi Aja Otisi, who delivered the lead judgment on November 20, dismissed Uba’s allegation of non-qualification levelled against the Deputy Governor, Samuel Ode.

Justice Otisi held that the PDP gubernatorial candidate failed to establish forgery of INEC Form EC9 by Ode beyond reasonable doubt as required by law.

3. Inuwa Yahaya

The Appeal Court, on Thursday, November 23, affirmed the judgment of the Gombe State Governorship Election Tribunal, which dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

PDP candidate , Muhammad Jibrin Barde had challenged the re-election of Governor Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

While delivering the judgment, the Court agreed with the Tribunal that the PDP’s case lacked merit.

4. Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, were affirmed as the authentic winners of the March 18 governorship election by the state Court of Appeal.

The appeals filed by candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abdulazeez Adediran and his counterpart in the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, were dismissed by the Court of Appeal over lack of merit.

5. Peter Mbah

The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos State has also affirmed the victory of Peter Mbah, the PDP candidate, in the March 18 governorship election in Enugu.

The Court dismissed the appeal filed by Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party (LP) in the election over lack of merit. It upheld the governorship election petition tribunal’s verdict that affirmed the PDP candidate’s victory.

Justice Tijani Yusuf Hassan-led three-member panel stated that the Labour Party and Edeoga did not prove with evidence that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate of the governor was forged and was not qualified to take part in the election.

6. Bassey Otu

The Lagos State division of the Court of Appeal has also affirmed the victory of Governor Otu of Cross Rivers state in the March 18 governorship election. Like Peter Mbah’s case, the Court dismissed the appeal of Professor Sandy Onor of the PDP over lack of merit, and the appellate Court upheld the state governorship election petition tribunal’s decision.