Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State
The Supreme Court yesterday slated March 6 to deliver judgment in a suit seeking to overrule the decision of the Appeal Court in Markudi, Benue State, which upheld the election of Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State.
The court will decide whether or not Al-Makura won the governorship election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on April 26, 2011.
Former Nasarawa State Governor, Aliyu Akwe Doma who contested for the office on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is seeking to overrule the judgments of the Appeal Court and the Election Petitions Tribunal which both upheld Al-Makura’s victory.
Doma and his party had petitioned the tribunal, alleging that Al-Makura collaborated with INEC to rig the elections.
They specifically alleged that INEC illegally cancelled election in nine polling units of Laminga ward and another in Oshugu, all in Nasarawa Local Government, as well as one in Anah area of Doma Local Government, in a bid to rob Doma of victory.
Yesterday at the hearing of the appeal, counsel to Al-Makura and INEC, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Hassan Liman (SAN) both asked the court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit.
Liman specifically urged the court to affirm the concurrent findings of the tribunal and the Appeals Court.
