The Supreme Court on Tuesday affirmed the validity of the elections of the Niger state Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, and that of his Kano State counterpart, Alhaji Ibrahim Kwankwaso.
Both Aliyu and Kwankwaso won the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party in Kano State for the election, Sagir Takai, had sought for the nullification of Kwankwaso’s election, while the governorship candidate of the Congress for Pregressive Change in Niger State, Ibrahim Shettima, wanted Aliyu unseated.
Takai faulted Kwankwaso’s election on the ground that that there was widespread abuse of the provisions of the Electoral Act in at least 23 local government areas of the state during the election.
But the Supreme Court, in a judgement read by Justice Suleiman Galadima, dismissed the appeal for lacking merit and the inability of the petitioner to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court also dismissed Shettima’s application for lack of merit.
Reading the ruling of the Supreme Court on the case, Justice Mary Odili said the appellant “failed to take the legal way to show the court that INEC did not produce materials requested for by him to be used as evidence.”