A Court of Appeal sitting in Nigeria’s northern city of Jos Tuesday upheld the nullification of the election of Governor Murtala Nyako of northern Adamawa state, setting the stage for fresh gubernatorial elections in the state. Following the ruling, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly is to be sworn in as Acting Governor pending the conduct of fresh elections in the state. The Adamawa state election petition tribunal had last November nullified the election because the candidate of the opposition Action Congress (AC) in the 14 April governorship polls, Alhaji Baptel, was illegally excluded by the country’s electoral body. Nyako was elected on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Adamawa is the home state of the immediate past Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who fought a running battle with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the run-up to the election. The decision Tuesday marked the second time the Court of Appeal will uphold the nullification of a governorship election, following that of central Kogi state Seven governors have lost their seats to court rulings since the elections were held 14 April 2007. The April general elections have been adjudged by local and international observers as the worst in the country’s history due to alleged massive rigging. Panapress
