Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu, has described the verdict delivered by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, affirming his election as a victory for the state and Nigeria’s democracy.
The governor stated that the striking out of all the six grounds presented to the tribunal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state was clear evidence that the PDP in Sokoto had no genuine case.
But, the state chapter of the PDP expressed deep concern about the tribunal’s judgement, saying it would appeal the judgement.
Governor Aliyu further commended the tribunal for doing the right thing and being fair after hearing from all those involved in the petition challenging the legitimacy of his victory at the 2023 governorship election.
He called on the opposition in the state to join hands with his administration to move the state forward, saying that patriotism should now be the driving factor to bolster the socio-economic development of the state.
The governor assured the people of the state of his administration’s determination to execute people-oriented projects for the overall development of the state.
However, the PDP in a statement issued by its publicity secretary, Hassan Sahabi Sanyinnawal, urged its supporters to remain calm and law-abiding.
Hassan said, “Even though the PDP is a strict respecter of the judicial process, our party is constrained to entertain serious misgivings on the ruling that has dismissed all the complaints of our party and our candidates, despite what we consider to be overwhelming evidence to prove our case.
“We assure our supporters and the people of Sokoto State that the PDP will remain committed to the struggle to retrieve their given mandate, through the only civilised instrument of the judiciary.
“Irrespective of the tribunal judgement, our party still regards the courts as the last hope of the common man in Nigeria. We therefore enjoin our supporters to remain steadfast in our collective pursuit of justice.”
