By Fola James
The people of Sokoto state are currently jubilating over the pronouncement, on Wednesday in Abuja by the state election Tribunal, which confirmed the election of Governor Aminu Tambuwal
The governorship election in March, was like passing through the thespian fire for Tambuwal, who contested the seat for a second term
But after a protracted battle with the APC governorship candidate, the election tribunal upheld the election of Aminu Tambuwal who is the candidate of the PDP in the election.
In its verdict unanimously delivered in Abuja by its three-man panel, the tribunal said Governor Tambuwal, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives was validly announced a winner of the election.
The tribunal however, dismissed the petition filed by the APC and its governorship candidate, Ahmed Aliyu, to challenge the governor’s victory at the March 9, 2019 poll.
But it’s not a total sweep for the PDP on Wednesday as the party suffered defeat in other states where its candidates approached tribunals to upturn the election of APC candidates, who have been declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The PDP lost the challenge in both Plateau and Kano state where the candidates of APC, Solomon Lalong and Abdullahi Ganduje were returned by the election tribunals in the two states.
In Soko where Governor Ganduje won, the tribunal led by Justice Bawale Abdullahi ruled that the petitioner had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Besides, it held that the petitioners failed to adduce credible evidence to prove their case why the victory of Tambuwal should be upturned.
The PDP has been jubilating since the tribunal declared victory for its candidate.
The party said it knew that Governor Tambuwal will be returned because he was the choice of the people of Sokoto state.
“Indeed, Governor Tambuwal’s achievements in developing the state and empowering the people in all critical sectors of life stood him out in his first term.
His re-election, therefore, marks the determination of the people to consolidate good governance in their state,” the PDP said in a statement.
Meanwhile, President Mihammadu Buhari said the verdict of the tribunals in both Plateau and Kano is another opportunity for Ganduje and Lalong to further prove to their people that they are capable of delivering on the manifesto of the APC.
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari congratulated both Lalong and Ganduje on their court victories.
Buhari told the APC governors to be more accountable and transparent in their dealings with their people.
“The President described the verdict of the tribunals as a victory for democracy, commending the people of Kano and Plateau states for maintaining the peace, allowing the due process of law to prevail and respecting the role of the judiciary in a democracy,” Shehu said in the statement.
The magazine has, however learned from counsels to the candidates that lost Wednesday, that they are unhappy with the verdict.
They have vowed to challenge the judgment at the Supreme court, the highest appellate court in the country on election matters.
