How Tribunal dismissed PDP, ADC petitions for ‘lack of merit‘
By Ben Ngwakwe, Gombe
The Governorship Petition Tribunal sitting in Gombe, has struck out the Peoples Democratic Party petition against the All Progressives Congress, praying the Court to nullify the victory of Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of the APC.
The three-man tribunal led by Justice S.B.Belgore, struck the petition against the victory of Governor Yahaya of APC for allegedly lacking merit.
The members of the Tribunal include Justices Belgore the Chairman, Justice Obo Awusa Obo (member I), and Justice Bassey Bassay Nkannang (Member II ) delivered the judgement on tuesday in Gombe.
“I affirm that the petition by the African Democratic Congress ADC against return of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya as the duly elected governor of Gombe State lacks merit in all front and that the election of the first and second respondents as winners of the March 18th Guber polls is valid and lawful,” the judgement read.
Also, the tribunal struck out petition filed by African Democratic Congress Nafiu Bala, challenging the election of Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and his Deputy Manassah Daniel Jatau.
ADC had challenged the declaration and return of Mohammadu Inuwa Yahaya on the basis of alleged multiplicity and variations in the arrangement of names on the certificates of his deputy, Manassah Daniel Jatau.
The court struck the case being first a pre-election matter and that the deputy has met the minimum certificate requirement to run.
The tribunal also struck out ADC’s allegations of corrupt practices and vote buying for lack of proof.
Our correspondent reports that no fewer than 185 documents were tendered with two witnesses called by Barde’s legal team.
