Appeal Court upholds elections of Senator Gobir, four Reps

The Court of Appeal in Sokoto has dismissed the appeal filed against the election of Senator Ibrahim Gobir of the All Progressives Congress (APC), representing Sokoto East Senatorial District.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Salihu Maidaji, had filed the appeal against the judgement of the National and States Assemblies Elections Petitions Tribunal that dismissed his petition and upheld Gobir’s election.

The tribunal had held that the petition was filed out of time, and dismissed it for being statute-barred.

Delivering the judgement on Tuesday, Justice Hamman Akawu Barka, said the tribunal was right to have dismissed the petition for being statute-barred.

“This petition was filed out of time, and therefore statute barred,” the Appeal Court judge affirmed. He therefore dismissed the appeal for want of merit.

Meanwhile, in separate judgements involving four Federal Constituencies, the Court of Appeal upheld the elections of three APC and one PDP  House of Representatives members.

Those of the APC include Abdullahi Salame representing Gwadabawa/Illela Federal Constituency; Architect Aliyu Almustapha of Rabah/Wurno Federal Constituency, and Abubakar Umar of Yabo/Shagari Federal Constituency.

The Court of Appeal also upheld the election of PDP’s Mani Maishinko Katami representing Binji/Silame Federal Constituency.