Tribunal Upholds Inuwa Yahaya as Gombe Governor
The Gombe State Governorship Election Tribunal has confirmed the re-election of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, dismissing the petitions filed by the Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jibrin Barde, and the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) and its candidate, Nafiu Bala.
The unanimous decision by the three-member panel found both petitions lacking in merit. The tribunal described the PDP’s petition as vague, baseless, and lacking specificity, ultimately dismissing it for failing to provide sufficient witnesses and evidence to support their claims of electoral malpractice and insufficient lawful votes for Inuwa Yahaya.
Regarding the ADC’s petition, the tribunal ruled that it also lacked merit and was subsequently dismissed. The ADC had challenged Inuwa Yahaya’s election, citing alleged discrepancies in the names on his deputy’s certificates without accompanying affidavits to validate their authenticity.
Read Also: Tribunal Upholds Bala Mohammed As Bauchi Governor
However, the tribunal deemed this a pre-election issue and affirmed that the deputy met the minimum requirements to run for office.
Furthermore, the tribunal rejected the ADC’s allegations of voter inducement, corrupt practices, and electoral law non-compliance, stating that these claims were unsupported by specific instances of wrongdoing.
The tribunal’s judgment affirmed the validity and lawfulness of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and his deputy’s election as the winners of the March 18th Gubernatorial election in Gombe State.
