The Kaduna Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Kaduna, sitting on Thursday September 28, 2023 has declared the state’s election inconclusive.
The tribunal panel believed that elections in some wards needed to be a rerun, hence rendering the results of March 18, 2023 inconclusive.
The petition, brought forth by the Peoples Democratic Party’s PDP candidate, Isah Mohammed Ashiru, against the All Progressives Congress’, APC Uba Sani, resulted in this decision.
In a split 2:1 verdict, the three-member tribunal panel, led by Justice Victor Oviawe, announced this. The panel also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to conduct a supplementary election within 90 days.
This tribunal case emerged as a challenge to Uba Sani’s election as the sitting Governor of Kaduna State. The closest contender, the PDP alleged irregularities and electoral fraud and asserting that their candidate, Isa Mohammed Ashiru, had won. Though the tribunal did not agree with Ashiru, they have however ruled that INEC must organize elections in seven wards, four local governments, and 24 polling units, encompassing 16,300 registered voters.
The PDP and Ashiru had presented 24 witnesses, along with claims and documents, during the petition hearing. The judgment was delivered virtually.