In a significant turn of events, the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Kaduna State has nullified the victory of Governor Uba Sani from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 governorship election. The tribunal has directed that a fresh election be conducted in four local government areas (LGAs) within the state.
The tribunal declared that the initial election results were inconclusive and subsequently ordered a new election in seven wards across the four affected LGAs.
This landmark ruling comes as a result of a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Isah Ashiru. The decision was handed down by a three-member panel led by Justice Victor Oviawe.
It’s worth noting that the tribunal had previously confirmed the legitimacy of the petition, which was submitted on April 10, 2023, thereby dismissing Governor Sani’s argument as the second respondent in the case.
Governor Uba Sani had been declared the winner of the 2023 governorship election in Kaduna State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in March. He secured a total of 730,002 votes, surpassing his closest rival, Isa Ashiru of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 719,196 votes. Jonathan Asake, the Labour Party (LP) candidate, secured a distant third place with 58,283 votes, while Suleiman Hunkuyi of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) scored 21,405 votes.
With the tribunal’s decision to nullify the initial results and call for fresh elections, the political landscape in Kaduna State is set to undergo a significant transformation, with implications for the gubernatorial leadership in the state.
