APC, PDP hopeful as Supreme Court decides Sokoto guber today

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Members from both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the primary opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are optimistic as the Supreme Court deliberates on the petition regarding the Sokoto State governorship election today.

Addressing the petitioner’s anticipations, Hassan Sentimental, the state publicity secretary of the PDP, expressed optimism about the party receiving a fair judgment at the Supreme Court in a conversation with our correspondent on Thursday

He said, “We are optimistic of securing justice in the court on Thursday, this is based on our presentation at the court.

“By the grace of God, we will get justice tomorrow in the court.”

Meanwhile, the state chairman of the ruling APC, Isa Acida, in his reaction on Wednesday , declined to make any comments on the expectations of his party in the case.

He said it was wrong for him to comment on a case to be decided on Thursday.

“I cannot say anything on that for now; this is a case before a court of law and will be decided tomorrow; honestly, I cannot say anything on it for now,” he explained.

Sai’du Umar, the PDP candidate in the governorship election held on March 18, sought redress from the Supreme Court after his petition against Governor Ahmed Aliyu was dismissed by both the Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.

Umar, alongside his party, the PDP, outlined nine grounds on which they are urging the Supreme Court to overturn the parallel rulings of the election petition tribunal and the Court of Appeal, which upheld the governor’s election.

In the documents that were made available to our correspondent by Nafiu Lema, media assistant to the candidate, and filed on their behalf by their team of lawyers led by Mr Sunday Ameh, SAN, the appellants claimed that “the judgment of the Court of Appeal is against the weight of evidence” and, as such, should be set aside by the apex court.

The Court of Appeal, based in Abuja, had validated Aliyu’s election.

Umar and the PDP had claimed that Aliyu and his deputy, Idris Gobir, were ineligible to participate in the governorship election.

The three-member panel of the appellate court, in a unanimous judgment last year, stated that the appellants did not provide sufficient evidence to support the allegations of irregularities, noncompliance, and non-qualification presented in their appeal.

The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, January 17, deferred its judgment.