On Tuesday, the Appeal Court's Sokoto Division upheld the All Progressive Congress (APC) Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir's win.

In a unanimous verdict, the three appeal court judges upheld Gobir's election, which represents the National Assembly's Sokoto East.

It dismissed the petition filed by Salihu Maidaji of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging Gobir’s election victory.

Maidaji had challenged an earlier judgment of the National and States Houses of Assemblies Elections Petitions Tribunal, which sat in Sokoto. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on February 25, 2019, declared Gobir winner of the February 23, 2019, senatorial election.

But Maidaji filed a petition before the lower court on March 25, 2019, challenging the senator’s victory.

The tribunal held that the petition was filed out of time, hence, statute-barred.

It dismissed the petition.

Maidaji filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal on March 18, 2019.

In his judgment, Justice Hamma Akawu Barka said the court agreed with the decision of the lower court that the petition was statute-barred and that it lacked the jurisdiction to entertain it.

Justice Barka said the court affirmed the decision of the lower court and dismissed the appeal.

Also, in a judgment read by Justice Fatima Akinbami, the court upheld the election of Dr Abdullahi Balarabe Salame of the APC, representing Gwadabawa and Illela Federal Constituency and dismissed the appeal filed by Halliru Garba Gidan Hamma of the PDP.

Justice Akinbanmi said the court affirmed the judgment of the lower court as the appeal lacked merit.

The court awarded N50,000 cost in favour of each of the three respondents.