The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has upheld the victory of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State in the March 18 governorship election.
Sadique Abubakar, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the March 18 election, had filed a petition challenging the judgment of the state election petition tribunal that affirmed Mohammed’s victory.
The court ruled that the appellant failed to specify the polling units involved in the alleged irregularities and was unable to articulate what information was missing in the forms. It further held that the appellant could not establish how the improperly filled forms impacted the election results.
The court commended the tribunal for its thorough examination of the evidence presented, stating that the appellant’s witnesses were unable to demonstrate a clear understanding of the forms.
Regarding the claim of massive non-compliance with electoral laws, the court ruled in favor of the respondent, emphasizing that the appellant failed to substantiate the allegations, as some witnesses did not vote on election day and others spoke only about their individual polling units.
On the issue of alleged unprofessional conduct by INEC officials, the court agreed with the tribunal, stating that it was not part of the appellant’s plea at the lower court and could not be argued.
The court ruled in favor of the first respondent, Governor Mohammed, regarding the plea related to fraudulent cancellations, mutilations, and alterations favoring the PDP candidate. It noted that if proven, falsification of results is a criminal matter leading to the cancellation of election results. However, the court emphasized that the burden of proof rested with the appellant, who failed to provide evidence of genuine results alongside the alleged falsified ones.
