Court of Appeal upholds governor Inuwa Yahaya’s victory in Gombe

The Abuja Court of Appeal has upheld the decision of the Gombe State Governorship Election Tribunal, which rejected the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the re-election of Governor Inuwa Yahaya from the All Progressives Congress.

In its judgment delivered on Thursday, the Court concurred with the Tribunal’s finding that the PDP’s case lacked merit. Governor Yahaya of the APC had been declared the winner of the Governorship Election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 18, with 342,821 votes, while the PDP’s Muhammad Jibrin Barde secured 233,131 votes.

Barde, dissatisfied with the outcome, approached the Tribunal, asserting that the election did not adhere to the provisions of the Electoral Act. The PDP candidate’s legal team argued that he had garnered the majority of lawful votes, alleging instances of multiple thumb printing and ballot box stuffing in nine local government areas in favor of Governor Inuwa Yahaya.

However, the three-member tribunal panel dismissed the PDP’s application, deeming it lacking in merit. Additionally, the tribunal expunged the statements and exhibits of the PDP, including INEC forms, considering them as baseless.