The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Francis Nwifuru as the Governor of Ebonyi State, dismissing the appeal filed by Chukwuma Odii of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for lacking merit. Justice Tijani Abubakar delivered the judgment on Friday.
In November of the previous year, the Court of Appeal in Lagos had already affirmed Francis Nwifuru’s election as the duly elected governor of Ebonyi State in the last governorship election, held on March 18, 2023.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Nwifuru as the winner, securing a total of 199,131 votes. Ifeanyi Odii of the PDP came in second with 80,191 votes.
The three-member panel of the Appeal Court, presided over by Justice Jummai Sankey, dismissed the appeal filed by Odii, upholding the verdict of the tribunal. Despite this, Chukwuma Odii proceeded to the Supreme Court to seek redress.
With the Supreme Court’s affirmation, Francis Nwifuru’s victory in the Ebonyi State governorship election stands, concluding the legal challenges surrounding the election outcome.