Tension as Supreme Court Set to Give Verdict on Suit Seeking to Sack 5 Governors
The Supreme Court is set to decide today, Friday, January 19, on the fates of five governors whom the opposition had sought to remove from office.
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The governors facing legal suits seeking their sacks include Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, Muhammad Yahaya of Gombe, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, and Nasir Idris of Kebbi state.
Source: Twitter
All the governors, except Sule of Nasarawa, have secured victory at the Court of Appeal and their state governorship election tribunals, The Nation reported.
This is coming a week after the court ruled on the governorship election tussle in nine states, including Kano and Plateau. Governors Abba Kabir Yusuf and Caleb Mutfwang were earlier sacked by the Court of Appeal but won at the apex court.
Below is a brief overview of the governors whose fates are set to be decided by the Supreme Court:
Dapo Abiodun, Ogun
A document from the Supreme court on Thursday, January 18, indicated that the court will deliver its verdict on appeals filed on the March 18 governorship election in Ogun state.
The two appeals are marked SC/CV/1221/2023 by Oladipupo Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and SC/CV/1223/2023 filed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the incumbent Governor Abiodun.
Muhammad Yahaya, Gombe
The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver judgment on the suit seeking to sack Governor Yahaya of the APC as filed by Jibrin Barde of the PDP.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun led a five-member panel of the Supreme Court earlier and heard the appeal on Thursday in the suit number SC/CV/1226/2023.
Sheriff Oborevwori, Delta
The Supreme Court also planned to deliver judgment on three appeals filed against the victory of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta state in the March 18 governorship election.
The three appeals were filed by Ovie Omo-Agege, the candidate of the APC in the election; Kenneth Gbagi of the Social Democratic Party (PDP); and Kennedy Pela of the Labour Party.
Abdullahi Sule, Nasarawa
Governor Sule of Nasarawa will have his final fate on whether to continue his second term today at the Supreme Court. Recall that the state governorship election tribunal sacked the governor before the Court of Appeal reinstated him.
PDP's Emmanuel David Ombugadu had filed four appeals against the governor's victory at the Court of Appeal and the March 18 governorship election in the state.
Nasir Idris, Kebbi
The APC governor of Kebbi state was challenged over his victory in the 2023 general election at the tribunal and the Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court is expected to give a verdict on three appeals filed by the governor, PDP's Aminu Bande, and the third filed by Abubakar Umar Argungu, the deputy governor of Kebbi state.
Lawyer's reaction
In his reaction to the judgment ahead, Okanlawon Gaffar, a legal practitioner who spoke with Legit.ng, said the apex court is the final place to seek redress and governance can begin after that.
He said:
"I believe the Supreme Court will do justice to all the governorship appeals, and the winners can fully focus on governance afterwards."
Supreme Court reserves judgment in Sokoto governorship appeal
Legit.ng also reported that the Supreme Court said it would communicate the day to deliver judgment on the suit seeking to sack Governor Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto to the parties involved.
Saidu Umar of the PDP had challenged the decision of the Court of Appeal and tribunal that affirmed the governor's victory in the March 18 governorship election.
Umar and the PDP are asking the court to sack Aliyu on the grounds that he and his deputy submitted an alleged fake certificate to INEC.
S'Court judgment: It's too late to accept Allah's will, Sanusi tells APC Gawuna
Kano's former emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II, earlier mocked Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of the APC for describing the Supreme Court judgment as the will of God.
The former governor of the CBN posited that a Muslim was expected to accept anything that befell them at the first instance, not after losing out at all move to get "what did not belong to them".
Sanusi's comment came a few days after the Supreme Court reversed the sack of Governor Yusuf of Kano.
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Source: Legit.ng
