Supreme court upholds Nwifuru’s election as Ebonyi governor

The supreme court has affirmed the election of Fran­cis Nwifuru as Ebonyi state governor.

Ifeanyi Odii of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had challenged the election of Nwifuru on the grounds of electoral malpractice.

He also said Nwifuru was not properly sponsored by his political party for the March 2023 election.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Tijani Abubakar, who led a five-member panel of the court, held that “the appeal” was always going “to fall like a pack of cards”.

“It is unmeritorious and is dismissed,” the court ruled.

BACKGROUND

In March 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Nwifuru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as winner of the Ebonyi governorship election after he polled 199, 131 votes.

Ifeanyi Odii of the PDP secured 80, 191 votes.

Bernard Odoh, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), polled a distant third with 52, 189 votes.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, Odii and Odoh had approached the tribunal, asking it to nullify Nwifuru’s victory and declare them winner.

They noted that Nwifuru was not a valid member of the APC at the time he contested the election.

In September 2023, the tribunal dismissed the petitioners’ petition and affirmed the victory of Nwifuru as the duly elected governor of the state.

The court of appeal also dismissed their appeals and affirmed Nwifuru’s election.