Nigeria: Ruling party state governor wins court battle

By Abu 'Adnan

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - Nigeria's Supreme Court on Friday upheld the election of an embattled state governor.

In a five-to-two vote, the court dismissed a legal challenge against southwestern Osun state governor Gboyega Oyetola, ruling that a previous tribunal that nullified his September 2018 election was not legally tenable due to it being improperly constituted.

The court said in a statement that the judge who gave the previous ruling was not part of the proceedings upon which the tribunal rested its decision.

The latest judgement brought to a judicial close the effort of the main opposition People's Democratic Party to unseat the ruling All Progressive Congress.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who leads the ruling party, said the judgment "lays to rest the tussle over the governorship of Osun State and removes all encumbrances on the path of the governor from fully delivering dividends of democracy to the good people of the State."