Tribunal dismisses APC’s petition against Bauchi gov, Bala

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

Delivering the judgement yesterday, Chairman of the three-member panel, Justice P.T Kwahar, dismissed the petition of the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakr (rtd), challenging Mohammed’s victory. 

Abubakar and the APC had filed a petition against Governor Mohammed of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who was declared winner of the March 18 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

But the tribunal held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of non-compliance with the 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.

The tribunal held that there was no tangible evidence to show that the BVAS machines were truly manipulated.

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 in the conduct of the governorship election of the 18th of March, 2023,” the court ruled.