The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has declared Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State as validly elected governor during the March 18 election.
The appellate court affirmed the judgment of the State Election Petitions Tribunal, which earlier dismissed the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Isa Ashiru, against the election of Governor Sani.
The court said that a key witness called by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the tribunal hearing merely gave hearsay evidence as he was not present when the malpractices he alleged happened.
The appeal court held that the allegations of deduction of votes, stuffing of ballot boxes, and mutilation of sensitive electoral materials made by the said witness were born out of hearsay.
The court also held that the tribunal was right in dismissing the petition of the PDP and Isa Ashiru because the petitioners had abandoned their petition for their failure to apply for the issuance of a pre-hearing information sheet after the close of pleadings as required by paragraph 18(1) of the first schedule to the Electoral Act 2022.
