The Supreme Court will today deliver judgment in the governorship appeals from Kano and Sokoto states over the March 2019 elections.
There is anxiety in the two states ahead of the judgment which will either confirm or upturn the elections of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who vied on the platform of APC or Aminu Waziri Tambuwal who contested under the umbrella of the PDP.
The seven-member panel of justices led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, had on Wednesday, January 15, adjourned the two appeals for judgment today after lawyers in the matters made their submissions.
The CJN had explained that the reason for fixing the judgment for today was to avoid breaching the provision of the law on time limit for the disposal of election petitions.
Section 285 (7) of the Constitution provides that: “An appeal from a decision of the election tribunal or court shall be heard and disposed-off within 60 days from the date of the delivery of judgment.”
Due to this time limit, the apex court will within the week also determine the governorship appeals for Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue and Plateau states.
Ahead of today’s judgment and in reference to last week’s verdict in which the Supreme Court sacked Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State in favour of Sen. Hope Uzodinma of APC, the PDP had asked the Chief Justice of Nigeria to recuse himself, a call that elicited different reactions.
