Isa Ashiru, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has vowed to appeal the ruling of the governorship election petitions tribunal affirming Governor Uba Sani’s election.
While calling for calm in the state, Ashiru, in a statement on Thursday night, declared that he would reclaim the mandate freely given to him by Kaduna people.
The statement reads in full:
“Given the ruling of the Kaduna state election tribunal, it has become necessary to share with our teaming supporters, the true position of the ruling.
“On the preliminary objection, the tribunal, based on the majority of 2:1 judges upheld the preliminary objection of the respondent to the effect that the application for pre-hearing was done prematurely i.e. before the service of the last set of petitioners’ reply to the 2nd respondent’s reply to the petition was served.
“However, the law enjoins the tribunal, as a trial court, to proceed to pronounce on the merit of the substantive suit so that in the event the court of appeal finds that the trial tribunal was wrong in its decision on the preliminary objection, it would have the benefit of pronouncing on the decision of the tribunal in the substantive matter.
“Accordingly, the trial tribunal finds merit in the aspect of the petitioner’s case relative to the margin of win between the two leading candidates. The tribunal by a split decision of 2:1 accordingly, nullified the election of the governor of Kaduna state, ordered that the Certificate of Return be retrieved and fresh elections be conducted in some polling units in 4 LGAs and the outcome thereof be reckoned with before the declaration of the winner of the governorship election in Kaduna state.
“I want to again thank the people of the state while urging them all to remain law abiding while we pursue the appeal process.
“One thing I can assure the good people Kaduna state is that I will pursue this mandate you freely gave me to its logical conclusion and by the grace of God, victory on our side.”
