There were jubilations in Minna, Niger State capital, on Tuesday as the news about how the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja dismissed an appeal filed by Governor Abubakar Sani Bello challenging the ruling of the election petition tribunal in Minna.
The Court of Appeal, on Monday, held that, “In making this judgment, I have considered section 285 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the case of governor of Ekiti State vs Olubunmi, and Akeredolu’s and hereby dismiss this appeal as it lacked merit’.
In addition, the Court of Appeal awarded the cost of N400, 000 to the 1st and 2nd defendants, Umar Mohammed Nasko and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The appeal was challenging the tribunal’s decision suspending its ruling on the application to strike out the PDP and Umar Nasko’s petition against Governor Abubakar Sani Bello and two others.
The Director of Communications, Umar Nasko Governorship Campaign Organisation, Alhaji Yahaya Mohammed Usman, who spoke to our correspondent, expressed happiness over the courts’ stand.
Usman said, “We are happy because this will further boost our chances. There will be fair hearing and for now we will not preempt the court.”
Also speaking on the recent political developments in Niger State, a PDP stalwart, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi Koko, said: “I am very happy about this and I expect that the tribunal will uphold the substantive suit with the quantum of evidence available before it.”
Meanwhile, some PDP supporters within Minna metropolis were seen chanting ‘Sai Nasko’, ‘Power belongs to God’, ‘Niger must be liberated’, as they headed towards the Umar Nasko campaign office along Keteren-Gwari road.
As they made their way through Keteren-Gwari road, more youths joined in the shouts of ‘Sai Nasko, Sai Nasko’.
It was, however, not possible to ascertain what transpired at the campaign office but our correspondent reliably gathered that the PDP governorship candidate was not available to receive them as at the time of filing this report.
Source: https://www.independent.ng/2019-poll-jubilations-in-minna-as-court-throws-out-gov-bellos-appeal/amp/
