The Election Tribunal sitting in Magistrate Court Wuse Zone II in the Federal Capital Territory has nullified the election of the chairman of Bwari Area Council, John Gabaya of the people’s Democratic party (PDP).
Delivering the judgement on Tuesday, the chairman of the tribunal, Muinat Folashade Oyekan, said the election was full of irregularities, and failed to meet the electoral standards.
The court also ordered for a rerun election in Kujekwa, Yenche and Gudunkarya wards of Kuje Area Council within ninety days.
In his judgement, a member of the tribunal Kimi Appah, said following the petition filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sarki Hamidu, alleging irregularities during the last February 12 Area Council election, the tribunal has ordered for the supplementary election.
Recall that in the last Kuje Area Council election held on February 12, the candidate of the APC Sarki Hamidu polled 7, 694 votes, while the winner and current chairman of Kuje Area Council, Abdullahi Sabo of the PDP scored 13,301 votes, and was declared winner by INEC.
He explained that the applicant raised cases of BVAS failure during the election.
Appah, therefore directed INEC to conduct a supplementary election in the affected wards within 90 days.
Fielding questions from journalists at the court, the chairman PDP in Kuje, Mohammed Dogora described the judgement as laughable.
He said the party is not panic about the rerun.
However, Abdullahi Sabo (Senior) principal private secretary to the current chairman of Kuje Area Council, said the judgement was a welcome development.
He stated that the PDP family was shocked by the judgement but said it was commendable that the tribunal didn’t nullify the 13,301 votes the party had.
