Tribunal upholds Bauchi Gov’s election

Bauchi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has upheld the victory of Governor Bala Mohammed in the March 18, 2023 governorship election.

Delivering the judgement on Wednesday, Chairman of the three panel of the Tribunal, Justice P.T Kwahar, dismissed the petition of the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakr (rtd), who challenged result of the election.

The tribunal held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations on non-compliance with electoral act, electoral irregularities as well as bypass of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (B-VAS) machines in some polling units of Toro, Dass, Zaki, Itas-Gadau, Alkaleri, Bauchi, Tafawa Balewa, Ningi, Dambam and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas.

He held that there was no tangible evidence to show that the BVAS was truly manipulated.

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The judge explained that the witnesses brought by the petitioner presented evidence based on hearsay as they were not present at the polling units, “they have failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the APC candidate won the election.”

“This court therefore returns the second respondent as the elected governor of Bauchi state by the first respondent in the conduct of the governorship election of the 18th of March, 2023,” he held.