Sokoto election petition tribunal dismisses all preliminary objections

The Sokoto State Governorship election petition tribunal has dismissed all preliminary objections brought before the tribunal by all parties in the matter.

Justice Abbas Bawale-led tribunal dismissed preliminary objections filed by the PDP, APC and INEC.

The tribunal is now on a 30-minute recess before the substantial matter would be dealt with.

Daily Trust had reliably gathered that the judgement would be delivered in Abuja.

No reason was given on why the judgement would be delivered in Abuja, but it was generally believed that it was due to security threat.

Reacting, the Publicity Secretary of the ruling PDP, Abdullahi Hausawa expressed optimism that the judgement would be delivered in their favour.

“We are confident that by God’s Grace, the judgement will be in our favour,” he said.

Hausawa said they were told that the judgement would be delivered in Abuja because of security threat.

The chairman of APC in the state, Isa Sadiq Achida, said the judges had their own reason for taking the judgement to Abuja.

“Our hope is that they will be just and fair in their judgement,” he said.

Ahmed Aliyu, governorship candidate of APC, and the party, had on April 11, 2019, dragged INEC, Tambuwal and PDP before the tribunal, sitting in Sokoto, challenging the declaration of Aminu Tambuwal as winner of the poll.