Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been confirmed as the legitimate winner of the hotly contested Cross River North Senatorial District election by the Appeal Court in Lagos.
The court dismissed a petition by former Cross River State governor Ben Ayade, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Appeal Court’s ruling, delivered on Saturday, solidified Jarigbe’s victory and further discredited the claims made by Ayade. Additionally, the court imposed a penalty of N500,000 against the former governor in favour of the incumbent senator.
This legal battle stems from the February election, which Ayade lost to the incumbent senator, Jarigbe, with the PDP candidate securing 76,145 votes against Ayade’s 56,595 votes.
Earlier in September, the Cross River State National Assembly Election Petitions sitting in Calabar declared Jarigbe as the rightful winner of the February 25 senatorial district elections, dismissing Ayade’s petition due to lack of merit.
Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice M. A. Sambo, pointed out the petitioners’ failure (Ayade and APC) to substantially prove their case, leading to the dismissal of their petitions. The tribunal also highlighted the absence of credible evidence to substantiate claims of electoral malpractice.
Jarigbe, a seasoned politician who served two terms in the House of Representatives, ascended to the Senate through a bye-election in September 2021, succeeding the late Dr. Rose Okoh.
