Taraba NNPP gubernatorial candidate takes battle to Supreme Court

Professor Sani Yahaya, the gubernatorial candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) for Taraba State in the 2023 general election, has rejected the recent judgment of the appeal court in Abuja and is set to pursue the matter at the Supreme Court.

Addressing the media in Jalingo, the state capital, Professor Yahaya expressed dissatisfaction with the judgments of both the tribunal and the appeal court, deeming them a miscarriage of justice lacking fairness. He criticized the dismissal of his case by the Appeal Court, which contested the gubernatorial election petition tribunal’s decision upholding Governor Agbu Kefas’s election.

Undeterred, Professor Yahaya urged his supporters to remain calm and avoid actions that could escalate tensions. Despite the setbacks at lower courts, he remains optimistic about reclaiming the mandate he believes was rightfully given to him by the people of Taraba.

Having approached the appeal court with expectations of justice, Professor Yahaya expressed disappointment at the dismissal of his appeal. The court cited the absence of some pages from the tribunal’s proceeding papers as grounds for its decision.

Professor Yahaya clarified that the proceedings papers were thoroughly examined by lawyers, emphasizing that the tribunal secretary was legally responsible for presenting them to the appeal court. He recounted the discovery of eight crucial missing pages during the presentation, acknowledging the tribunal secretary’s admission of the mistake and subsequent efforts to retrieve the pages. Despite these corrective actions, the appeal court still dismissed the appeal based on the missing pages, prompting Professor Yahaya to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court in pursuit of justice.