List of Sacked State Governors and Their Reasons for Removal

Within just nine months after the elections, courts have invalidated the elections of at least three governors contested by opposing parties and deemed one election inconclusive.

Here is a breakdown of the reasons for the removal of the sacked state governors:

The Election Petitions Tribunal, led by Justice Oluyemi Osadebay, nullified the election of Governor Yusuf after invalidating 165,663 votes garnered by Yusuf due to the lack of signatures or stamps on the ballot papers.

As a result, the court ordered the revocation of Yusuf’s certificate of return and the issuance of a new one to the opposing party’s candidate, Gawuna. The decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

Similarly, the Court of Appeal, led by Justice M.A Adumeh, ruled that Governor Yusuf was not listed on his political party’s membership roll, which led to the annulment of his election. The judge highlighted the party’s failure to maintain a list of registered members, as mandated by the Electoral Act.

In another case, the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal invalidated Abdullahi Sule’s election and directed INEC to retract his Certificate of Return in favor of David Ombugadu of the PDP. The tribunal based its decision on incorrect vote counts and discrepancies in polling unit results.

Additionally, the Court of Appeal in Zamfara State ordered a rerun of the governorship election in two local governments, citing an inconclusive election. This decision followed a case brought by Bello Matawalle of the APC contesting the election results, which INEC had initially declared in favor of Dauda Lawal of the PDP.

Lastly, Nentawe Goshwe of the APC unsuccessfully challenged the victory of Caleb Mutfwang at the tribunal, claiming that the governor was not validly nominated and sponsored by his party. The Court of Appeal upheld this claim, citing the failure of the PDP to comply with a High Court order regarding the nomination of candidates.