The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the appeal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Gombe State Jibrin Barde challenging the election of Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State.
In a unanimous judgment by a panel of justices, the apex court held that the appeal lacked merit and was unnecessary.
Two months ago, the court of appeal affirmed the judgment of the Gombe State Governorship Election Tribunal and dismissed the petition filed by PDP, challenging the re-election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.
The court concurred with the tribunal that the PDP’s case lacked merit. That verdict came months after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Governor Inuwa as the winner of the Gombe state governorship election with 342,821 votes.
Barde of the PDP was said to have scored 233,131. Unsatisfied, he took the matter to the tribunal, claiming Governor Inuwa’s win did not conform with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
His lawyers insisted that their client got the highest number of lawful votes during the election, claiming that there were multiple thumb printing and ballot box stuffing in nine local government areas of the state in favour of Governor Inuwa.
But the tribunal dismissed the application, citing a lack of merit. It also expunged the witnesses’ statements and exhibits of the PDP (INEC forms) for being baseless. The court of appeal was to later affirm the verdict, leading Barde to take the matter to the Supreme Court where he also lost.
