In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court on Friday upheld the election of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.
Justice Ibrahim Saulawa delivered the lead judgment, dismissing the appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Sadique Abubakar.
The appellants contested the validity of Governor Mohammed’s victory, alleging that the election did not comply substantially with the Electoral Act 2022.
The apex court, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, found no merit in the appeal and upheld the judgments of the Bauchi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Jos.
The court resolved all issues formulated by the appellants against them, emphasizing the lack of grounds to dislodge the lower courts’ decisions.
Similarly, the Supreme Court affirmed the election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.
In dismissing two separate appeals brought by the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging Sanwo-Olu’s victory, the court declared the appeals lacking merit.
The LP, represented by Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and the PDP, represented by Abdulazeez Adediran (Jandor), questioned Sanwo-Olu’s eligibility, alleging that his deputy and running mate, Obafemi Hamzat, held dual citizenship, including that of the United States.
The appellants argued that Hamzat’s dual citizenship made Sanwo-Olu’s candidacy constitutionally invalid.
However, the Supreme Court, echoing the decisions of the Lagos State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, dismissed the appeals on grounds of incompetence.
The court affirmed that the allegations against Sanwo-Olu’s candidacy had been unanimously rejected by the lower courts, cementing his legitimate victory in the gubernatorial contest.