The Abuja Division of the Appeal Court on Friday upheld the victory of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State in the March 18 governorship election, dismissing the appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Sadique Abubakar.
The panel of three justices delivered a unanimous judgment, awarding no cost and ruling that each party to the matter should bear their costs.
In the course of the judgment, the presiding justice addressed the appellant’s pleas.
On the first plea, which sought the nullification of the election due to improperly filled forms and booklets, the court ruled that the appellant failed to substantiate this claim with adequate evidence. It emphasized that the appellant did not specify the polling units involved or demonstrate how the alleged irregularities affected the election results.
Regarding the plea of massive non-compliance with electoral laws, the court found that the appellant could not prove this, as some witnesses lacked firsthand experience from election day, relying solely on observations within their polling units.
Concerning the alleged unprofessional conduct of INEC officials, the court aligned with the tribunal, stating that it was not part of the appellant’s original plea and could not be considered.
Addressing the plea about fraudulent cancellations, mutilations, and alterations to favor the PDP candidate, the court acknowledged that if proven, falsification of results is a criminal matter that could warrant the cancellation of election results.
However, the court asserted that the burden of proof rested with the appellant, who failed to provide evidence to substantiate the claim.
The court underscored the importance of presenting a genuine result alongside the allegedly falsified one, a requirement the appellant did not fulfill.
