The Governor? of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu,? has described the verdict of the Supreme Court that yesterday upheld his victory at the April 2011 governorship election as a confirmation that his administration got the mandate of the people of the state.
The Supreme Court in Abuja upheld the verdict of the Appeal Court that upheld the ruling of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that gave victory to Governor Aliyu in Minna and dismissed the petition of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and its governorship candidate, Alhaji Shettima Bako for lack of merit.?
Aliyu? stated that after winning the case at the tribunal, the opposition party took appeal which was thrown out at the Appeal Court to the apex court, adding that the petitioners would have backed out at this point but their legal representative advised them to proceed to the Supreme Court.
“We won at the tribunal and at the Appeal Court. Actually the candidate told me that he was not going to be at Supreme Court but I understand the SAN has to register the number of appearances he has made. I believe that he must have been convinced to go to Supreme Court”.