The Taraba State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Abuja has removed Taraba governor, Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and has declared Alhaja Aisha Alhassan of All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of April 11, 2015 governorship election.
Alhassan who has been appointed minister by President Muhammadu Buhari and confirmed by the senate contested her loss at the governorship election after early reports had indicated that she was in the lead and poised to win the election.
Mrs. Alhassan, a former senator and presently a minister will be Nigeria’s first female governor if Mr. Ishaku fails to challenge the ruling, or loses the appeal.
The tribunal Chairman, Justice Musa Abubakar, had on October 7 reserved judgment indefinitely after hearing the final submissions of the counsels.
In his final address, the lead counsel to the petitioners, Mr Mahmoud Magaji (SAN), asked the tribunal to return Mrs Alhassan as the duly elected governor of Taraba State.
The Counsel to the governor, Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN) prayed the court to dismiss the petition, describing it as lacking in merit.
Justice Abubakar ruled that Ishaku of the PDP was not qualified to contest for the April 11 governorship election because he was not properly nominated to contest on the platform of the party.
The tribunal added that the PDP failed to conduct primary for Taraba State governorship election in line with Section 177 of Nigeria’s Constitution.
Meanwhile, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State on Saturday described the tribunal judgment which sacked the Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as a ridiculous political judgment that can never stand before men of good conscience and God. He said: “how does the emergence of party candidate, which is the clear internal business of the party and a pre-election matter, concern the APC and the Election Tribunal? “Isn’t it funny that it is no longer about election rigging, but technicality of how PDP candidates emerged even when no one in the PDP went to court to challenge how Governor Ishaku emerged as the PDP governorship candidate?
Also, Olisa Metuh has urged its members across the country, especially in Taraba, to remain undaunted as the appellate court would restore its well-deserved victory.
The call is contained in a statement signed by Chief Olisa Metuh, the National Publicity Secretary of the party on Saturday in Abuja. “It is rather curious and an irony that the Taraba tribunal sitting in Abuja, on security grounds, faulted the conduct of PDP primaries shifted to the same Abuja on security reasons,” the party said.
