Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State and the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Isa Ashiru have reacted to the Kaduna Governorship Election Petition Tribunal judgment.
The tribunal headed by Justice Victor Oviawie dismissed the petition of the PDP candidate on the ground that the pre-hearing notice was filed out of time and therefore deemed to be abandoned.
In the wake of the judgment, Sani, whom the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared as the winner of the exercise, hailed the court for dismissing PDP’s petition.
“I was happy after the NEC meeting when I heard the news that the tribunal dismissed the PDP’s application against the election. Of course, I was not surprised because, throughout the tribunal sitting our lawyers were briefing me about what was happening,” he said on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He called on “Mr Ashiru and the PDP members in Kaduna State to come and join hands with me. What is more important is moving our state forward. Like I said on the 29th of May when I was sworn in, the issue of politics is about governance and we have tried as much as possible to carry all along”.
Ashiru To Appeal Judgment
But in a statement on his verified Facebook account, Ashiru rejected the judgment and vowed to appeal it.
“First, I give glory to God Almighty for the progress made so far in our effort to reclaim the mandate given to us by the good people of Kaduna State. I also thank the people of the state for widely believing in me and the PDP,” the PDP candidate wrote.
“Also, given the ruling of the Kaduna state election tribunal, it has become necessary to share with our teaming supporters, the true position of the ruling.”
“The tribunal by a split decision of 2:1 accordingly, nullified the election of the governor of Kaduna state, ordered that the Certificate of Return be retrieved and fresh elections be conducted in some polling units in 4 LGAs and the outcome thereof be reckoned with before the declaration of the winner of the governorship election in Kaduna state,” Ashiru said.
“I want to again thank the people of the state while urging them all to remain law abiding while we pursue the appeal process.
“One thing I can assure the good people of Kaduna state is that I will pursue this mandate you freely gave me to its logical conclusion and by the grace of God, victory on our side.”
