An Appeal Court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, on Thursday upheld the victory of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Darius Ishaku, in the Taraba State governorship election of April 11.
In the ruling, the Abdul Aboki-led five-man panel said that the PDP’s decision to choose Mr Ishaku as its candidate was accepted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Appeal Court ruled that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aisha Alhassan, had no locus standi to question the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Addressing reporters in Abuja after the judgement was delivered, Governor Ishaku urged his supporters to be peaceful and calm while celebrating the decision of the Appeal Court.
He said that the judgment was a testimony that the judiciary remained the only hope of the common man.
INEC had in April announced PDP’s Ishaku as winner of the election defeating APC’s Alhassan.
The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja had declared on November 7 that Alhassan was the duly elected governor, saying Ishaku did not emerge candidate of the PDP in a proper primary election.
But at the appeal hearing, Mr Aboki admitted the testimony of the INEC officer, who testified that the PDP primaries violated sections 85 and 87 of the electoral law, he maintained the APC had no locus standi on the matter.