By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.
Accept
Okay.ngOkay.ngOkay.ng
Font ResizerAa
  • News
    • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Business & Economy
  • Sport
  • Tech
Reading: Supreme Court Confirms Abdulazeez Yari As Zamfara State Governor
Share
Font ResizerAa
Okay.ngOkay.ng
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Business & Economy
  • Sport
  • Tech
Search
  • News
    • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Business & Economy
  • Sport
  • Tech
Follow US
  • About Okay.ng
  • Advertising on Okay.ng
  • Contact Okay.ng
  • Careers
  • Meet the Team behind Okay.ng
  • Ownership and Funding of Okay.ng
  • Editorial Principles at Okay.ng
© OKN MEDIA PUBLISHING 2022 - All rights reserved
News

Supreme Court Confirms Abdulazeez Yari As Zamfara State Governor

Farouk Mohammed
By Farouk Mohammed
Published: January 8, 2016
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

Gov.-Abdulazeez-Yari-of-Zamfara

The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the election of Malam Abdulazeez Yari of All Progressives Congress (APC) as governor of Zamfara.

Delivering the judgment, the Justice John Okoro-led panel of six justices held that the petition lacked substance.

“The grouse of the appellants in this issue, basically, is that there was over-voting and that because of that there was substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

“To prove over-voting, the law is trite that the petitioner must tender the voters’ register.

“The court must also see the statement of result in the appropriate forms which would show the number of registered accredited voters and number of actual voters,’’ the court said.

Okoro said the appellant must also relate each of the documents to the specific area of the case in respect of which documents were tendered.

He added that the appellant ought to have shown that figures, representing over-voting, if removed, would result in victory for the petitioner.

“From the finding above, I agree with the court below that the appellants failed woefully to prove over-voting in accordance with the principles laid down by law.

“The reliance on the evidence of one of the witnesses through a document he did not make has not made any difference.

“There is no doubt that a petitioner is entitled to contend that an election or return in an election be invalidated by reason of corrupt practice or non-compliance,’’ he said.

Okoro, however, said that for a petitioner to succeed on the ground of corruption, he must prove that corrupt practices or non-compliance actually took place.

He said the appellant must also prove that the alleged infraction substantially affected the result of the election.

“There is need for a petitioner who alleges over-voting to lead concrete evidence to show that there was indeed over-voting and that it benefitted the winner of the contest.

“Without doubt, over-voting in an election can be in favour of the appellant, the respondent or other contestants who participated and lost at the election but are not parties to the petition.

“Therefore, the onus is on the petitioner to show that the over-voting was in favour of the respondent and that it was as a result of the over-voting that Yari won the election,’’ he said.

Okoro said: “in this case, the appellants alleged that there was over-voting by 86,045 votes.

“Assuming that the appellants were able to prove over-voting by that figure, a reduction of that number from the score of the first respondent (Yari) put at 716,964 votes will not make any difference.

“It means that the appellant would attract a total of 201,938 votes which would not have changed the position of the result of the election and that Yari would still be left with 630,919 votes.

“Having resolved all the issues adopted for determination of this appeal against the appellants, it is crystal clear that this appeal is devoid of any scintilla of merit and is accordingly dismissed.

“I uphold the decision of the Court of Appeal delivered on Nov. 12, 2015, which upheld the judgment of the trial tribunal.

“I therefore, award costs of N100, 000 against the appellants in favour of the first and second respondents,’’ Okoro ruled.

Alhaji Mahmud Shinkafi, the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election, had approached the apex court to challenge the decision of the Appeal Court in Sokoto that upheld Yari’s victory.

The petition was anchored on the grounds that there was want of the 21 days statutory notice given to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the conduct of the APC governorship primary election.

Stay Updated on the Go with Our Latest News—Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!
TAGGED:Abdulazeez YariSupreme Court
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp Telegram Email Copy Link Print
ByFarouk Mohammed
Publisher
Follow:
Farouk Mohammed is a Head Editor at Okay Nigeria (Okay.ng). He has been publishing for 10 years and focused more on Local/World News on Okay.ng
Previous Article BlackBerry May Launch 2 Android Phones in 2016 — CEO
Next Article iPhone 7 To Be A ‘waterproof’ & Also Support Wireless Charging — Report

Connect with Okay on Social

FacebookLike
XFollow
InstagramFollow
TelegramFollow

Dollar/Naira Rates

Dollar to Naira Rate

Okay.ng Logo
Buy Rate ₦1,560.00
Sell Rate ₦1,570.00

Updated: 1 day ago

Displayed rates are for informational purposes only and are subject to change.

Quick Converter

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

Recent Posts

Nigerian Troops Neutralize Terror Kingpin Mai Dada, Recover Arms in Multi-Region Operations
Security
NNPP Welcomes Possibility of Rabiu Kwankwaso Joining APC Amidst Ganduje’s Resignation
News
Tinubu’s State Visit to Saint Lucia Marks Historic Diplomatic and Cultural Engagement, Presidency Clarifies
International News
President Bola Tinubu Suspends Implementation of Financial Reporting Council Amendment Act 2023
News
Aminu Dantata to be Buried in Madinah After Saudi Approval
News
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

You May Also Like

CrimeVideo

VIDEO: NDLEA Issues Strong Advisory to Travellers Against Carrying Unknown Bags

Oluwadara Akingbohungbe
Oluwadara Akingbohungbe
June 29, 2025
News

SERAP Demands Transparency from Nigeria’s Governors on Security Vote Spending

Oluwadara Akingbohungbe
Oluwadara Akingbohungbe
June 29, 2025
NewsSecurity

Security Situation Improving, CDS Urges Continued Support from Nigerians

Oluwadara Akingbohungbe
Oluwadara Akingbohungbe
June 29, 2025
Okay.ngOkay.ng
Follow US
© OKN MEDIA PUBLISHING 2025 - All rights reserved
  • About Okay.ng
  • Advertising on Okay.ng
  • Contact Okay.ng
  • Careers
  • Meet the Team behind Okay.ng
  • Ownership and Funding of Okay.ng
  • Editorial Principles at Okay.ng
adbanner
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?