Tribunal Decides Dankwambo, Ajimobi's Fate

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Gombe state on Wednesday, October 14, upheld the return of Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo.
Dankwabo who contested a re-election as governor of the state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared winner after supposedly polling more votes to defeat Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Yahaya, however, challenged the election of Governor Dankwabo at the election tribunal on the grounds that it was marred by violence and irregularities.

Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo

But in a ruling yesterday, October 14, the court dismissed the petition.
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Delivering judgement after reviewing evidence, the tribunal chairman Justice Mohammed Sirajo dismissed the petition for lack of merit.
According to Sirajo, the petitioners had not mustered enough evidence to prove their allegations of electoral malpractice and irregularity, Daily Post reports.
Sirajo noted that the petitioners had failed to discharge their responsibility of providing enough proof that would warrant the granting of their prayers, hence, the dismissal of the petition for lack of merit.
However in a swift reaction after the verdict, counsel to the petitioners, Barr. Abdulganiyu Bello, said he would consult with his clients to decide on the next line of action.
“We are all members to the temple of justice; I urge our supporters to take it easy, this is just the first step.”
But counsel to Gov. Dankwambo who was the First Respondent, Barr Zubairu Mohammed, hailed the verdict, describing it as fair.
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“We deserve the victory because all the grounds of petition were very weak.”
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In the same vein, a five-man panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan yesterday, October 14, solidly struck out the petition filed by the Accord governorship candidate in Oyo state, Rashidi Ladoja against Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi

Naij.com recalls that Ladoja had approached the court to challenge the ruling of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ibadan after he challenged the declaration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the APC as winner of the April 11 gubernatorial election.
But in the ruling, the court headed by Justice M. Saulawa dismissed the case and upheld the ruling of the tribunal, NAN reports.
“Handing a different ruling will be an exercise in futility.
“The appeal is dismissed in its entirety and the ruling of the lower tribunal on August 18 is upheld,” Saulawa said.
The court also said that the grounds for appeal were incompetent.
As the incumbent, Abiola Ajimobi contested for a second term in an election that took place on April 11, 2015. He contested under the APC for a second time against two of his predecessors in office, Christopher Alao Akala and Rasheed Ladoja. He was declared the winner of the Oyo state gubernatorial election by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
Ibrahim Dankwambo contested for a second term in an election that took place on April 11 2015 and was declared winner of the Gombe governorship election by INEC.