
Kaduna State Tribunal Ruling: I Will Reclaim My Mandate – PDP Governorship Candidate Assures Supporters
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18, 2023, election in Kaduna State, Hon. Isa Mohammed Ashiru, has appealed to his supporters to remain calm, assuring them that he will recover the mandate they gave him.
Ashiru made the call in statement in reaction to the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna State which declared the election as inconclusive.
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna State had declared the election inconclusive and ordered supplementary election in seven wards in four local government areas.
The three-member Panel of the Tribunal, led by Justice Victor Oviawe, gave the verdict while delivering judgement via Zoom in petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Isah Mohammed Ashiru.
But reacting to the judgement in statement titled: “Tribunal Nullifes Uba Sani’s Election,” the PDP candidate thanked the Almighty God for the progress made so far in effort to reclaim the mandate given to him and his party by the good people of Kaduna State.
He said, “First, I give glory to God Almighty for the progress made so far in our effort to reclaim the mandate given to us by the good people of Kaduna State. I also thank the people of the state for widely believing in me and the PDP.
“Also, given the ruling of the Kaduna state election tribunal, it has become necessary to share with our teaming supporters, the true position of the ruling.”
On the preliminary objection, the tribunal, he said based on the majority of 2:1 judges upheld the preliminary objection of the respondent to the effect that the application for pre-hearing was done prematurely that is before the service of the last set of petitioners’ reply to the 2nd respondent’s reply to the petition was served.
“However, the law enjoins the tribunal, as a trial court, to proceed to pronounce on the merit of the substantive suit so that in the event the court of appeal finds that the trial tribunal was wrong in its decision on the preliminary objection, it would have the benefit of pronouncing on the decision of the tribunal in the substantive matter.
“Accordingly, the trial tribunal finds merit in the aspect of the petitioner’s case relative to the margin of win between the two leading candidates. The tribunal by a split decision of 2:1 accordingly, nullified the election of the governor of Kaduna state, ordered that the Certificate of Return be retrieved and fresh elections be conducted in some polling units in 4 LGAs and the outcome thereof be reckoned with before the declaration of the winner of the governorship election in Kaduna State.
“I want to again thank the people of the state while urging them all to remain lawabiding while we pursue the appeal process. One thing I can assure the good people Kaduna State is that I will pursue this mandate you freely gave me to its logical conclusion and by the grace of God, victory on our side.”
Average Rating