Supreme Court Upholds Nwifuru’s Victory in Ebonyi Governorship Election

In a landmark ruling on January 12, 2024, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed the election of Francis Nwifuru as the Governor of Ebonyi State.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate Chukwuma Odii filed an appeal, but the supreme court rejected it because their case lacked merit.

The court’s unanimous decision, which Justice Tijjani Abubakar read aloud, emphasized that the PDP and its candidate lacked the legal authority to contest Nwifuru’s nomination as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.

The court also dismissed all five issues raised by the petitioners, declaring Nwifuru’s election valid and upholding his victory.

The ruling comes after the Court of Appeal in Lagos had also affirmed Nwifuru’s election as the duly elected governor of Ebonyi State.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced Nwifuru as the winner of the election, with a total of 199 votes, while Ifeanyi Odii of the PDP came in second with 80 votes.

With the Supreme Court’s decision, Governor Nwifuru’s position has been solidified, putting an end to the legal challenges brought by the opposition parties.

The ruling has been met with jubilation in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, as supporters of Governor Nwifuru celebrate the confirmation of his electoral victory.

In other news, the Supreme Court also ruled in favor of Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, setting aside an earlier judgement that had seemingly sacked him in November 2023.