In a unanimous decision, the State and National Assembly Appeal Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday affirmed the election victory of Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the March 18, 2023, governorship election. The court dismissed four separate appeals filed by candidates from various parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party, Allied People’s Movement, and Accord Party.
The Appeals Court ruled that the appellants failed to provide sufficient evidence to support their allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act. The decision also criticized the tribunal for dismissing Tonye Cole’s appeal based on the grounds that the APC sponsored him and had withdrawn the petition against Governor Fubara’s victory.
The court clarified that the withdrawal of the petition by the APC against Fubara’s victory does not prevent its candidate, Tony Cole, from pursuing his appeal. Further details on the judgment are expected to be provided later.