The Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto on Tuesday upheld the election of Sen. Ibrahim Gobir as senator representing Sokoto East.
The court dismissed the appeal filed by Alhaji Salihu Maidaji of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the judgment of the National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.
The Tribunal had on Sept. 10, dismissed the petition of Maidaji, which challenged the election of Gobir of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 9 elections.
Dissatisfied, Maidaji the immediate past Speaker of the Sokoto state House of Assembly, approached the Appeal Court challenging the judgement of the Tribunal.
In its judgement, the three-man panel led by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, whose judgment was read by Justice Hamma Akawu, the Appeal Court upheld the judgment of the Tribunal.
Akawu said the petition was statute barred, because it was filed out of time.
The Appeal Court also dismissed the petition filed by Ibrahim Sarki of the (PDP- Sokoto North II), challenging the tribunal’s judgment that ordered for a supplementary election for the Sokoto North II state constituency in the House of Assembly.
Sarki, a serving member in the state House of Assembly, contested against Hussaini Faru of the APC in the 2019 general election, and on Sept. 9, the Tribunal ordered for a supplementary election in six polling units of the constituency.
Delivering the judgment, the Presiding Judge, Justice Saulawa said the appeal lacked merit and the judgement of the tribunal was upheld.
