List of 25 Governors Tribunal may remove before end of September and why

There is anxiety in some states as no less than 25 governors in Nigeria are expected to receive their verdicts from the tribunals hearing the governorship election petitions in their respective states.

According to The Punch, verdicts on the petitions are expected to be delivered before the end of September.

Of the 28 states where the March 18 governorship elections were held, at least 25 of them were being contested at the tribunal.

The tribunals in the affected 25 states have reserved their judgments after the parties are done with their hearings and adopted written addresses in compliance with the Practice Director of the petitions issued by Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen, the president of the court of appeals.

Below is the list of the governors and their states:

Francis Nwifuru, Ebonyi

Governor Nwifutu of Ebonyi State was one of the Nigerian governors whose fate would be decided before the end of September.

This is as the state governorship election petition sitting in Abuja had reserved its verdict on the petition to sack him as the winner of the March 18 governorship election.

Chief Ifeanyi Odii and Prof. Benard Odoh of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) filed the petition against Nwifuru and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ahmed Aliyu, Sokoto

Also, the APC Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State would know his fate this month over the petition filed against him by Sa’idu Umar of the PDP against his victory in the March 18 governorship election in the state.

The petitioner has argued that there were gross irregularities in the election and that the governor had some discrepancies in his secondary and university certificates.

Abba Kabir Yusuf, Kano

Governor Yusuf of Kano state has gone spiritual over the petition filed by the APC as the tribunal has reserved its judgment for this month.

There is tension in the state ahead of the ruling as supporters of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the APC have alleged some external influences on the court.

Sheriff Oborevwori, Delta

The tribunal sitting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, was yet to fix a date to give its verdict on the petition filed by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of the APC against Oborevwori of the PDP over his victory in the March 18 governorship election in the state.

Both the APC and PDP have expressed optimism of winning the tribunal.

Dapo Abiodun, Ogun

The camp of the APC Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and his major challenger, Ladi Adebutu of the PDP, hope to secure victory at the tribunal.

Adebutu has alleged that the victory of Abiodun was full of irregularities, rigging and violence.

Other governors whose fate could be decided at the tribunal in September are listed below: