Appeal Court Upholds Gov Aliyu’s Election

We’ve Been Vindicated, Says Gov

THE Appeal Court sitting in Abuja on Friday affirmed the decision of the Niger State Election Petition Tribunal, which upheld the election of Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu as winner of the April 26, 2011 governorship election in the state.

The presiding judge, Justice Uwani Abba Aji, who read the judgment dismissed the appeal filed by candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Alhaji Ibrahim Bako Shettima, for his failure to produce sufficient evidence to prove the allegation that the April 26, 2011 gubernatorial election in Niger state was marred by rigging and irregularities.

The presiding judge said the appeal filed by the Congress for Progressive Change was dismissed for lack of merit.

In a reaction, Governor Aliyu expressed satisfaction with the decision of the court, saying the PDP-led government in Niger State has been vindicated.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mallam Danladi Ndayebo, Aliyu thanked people of the state for their perseverance and for staying calm since the CPC filed its petition challenging his victory last May.

The statement thanked supporters for their continued belief in the PDP and its leadership, urging opposition parties in the state to join hands with the present government to move the state forward.

Also speaking to newsmen at the court premises in Abuja after the judgment, the CPC gubernatorial candidate, Alhaji Ibrahim Bako Shettima, said politics is not a do-or-die affair, and as such he accepts the judgment in good faith.

He described the decision of the appellate court as the will of God and assured that CPC will continue to offer positive advice to the Aliyu-led PDP government in the state with a view to moving the state forward.