The Electoral Tribunal in Sokoto State on Wednesday upheld the election of former governor Aminu Tambuwal as the duly elected Senator representing Sokoto South senatorial district.
The three-member panel, presided over by Justice Denis Echesi, delivered a unanimous verdict.
In the decision, the panel dismissed the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Alhaji Danbaba Danbuwa.
The court held that the petitioners, APC and its candidate, failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. As a result, they were ordered to pay a fine of N200,000 to each of the respondents.
The respondent, Dr. Suleiman Usman, SAN, after the decision said that the court did a thorough analysis of all the issues that were presented during the case.
“In the end, the court found the evidence presented by the investigators to be unreliable, often contradicted, and often based on hearsay, including the documents they submitted.
“The court found that the petition was not verified and confirmed the appointment of Sen. Tambuwal as a duly elected Senator to the National Assembly,” he said.
On the other hand, Mr Chris Ndeoyiro, the counsel for the petitioners, said his clients will wait for a copy of the court order to review its contents and decide on their next steps.
“The decision itself is disappointing, as the court dismissed the petition.
“However, there are some aspects of the trial that we see as not good.
“We will receive a copy of the judgment from the court tomorrow, and after a thorough review, we will decide on our next course of action,” he said.
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