Bauchi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday upheld the election victory of Governor Bala Mohammed in the March 18, 2023 governorship election.
Justice P.T Kwahar-led three-man panel of the tribunal, while delivering the judgement on Wednesday, dismissed the petition of the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakr (rtd), who challenged the result of the election, which it held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations on non-compliance with electoral act, electoral irregularities as well as the bypass of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (B-VAS) machines in some polling units of Toro, Dass, Zaki, Itas-Gadau, Alkaleri, Bauchi, Tafawa Balewa, Ningi, Dambam and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas.
Justice Kwahar also held that there was no tangible evidence to show that the BVAS was indeed manipulated while adding that the witnesses brought by the petitioner presented evidence based on hearsay as they were not present at the polling units, “they have failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the APC candidate won the election.”
“This court, therefore, returns the second respondent as the elected governor of Bauchi state by the first respondent in the conduct of the governorship election of the 18th of March, 2023,” he held.