Kwara state Governorship /National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ilorin Friday upheld the election of AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq in the March 9, 2019 governorship election in the state.
The tribunal also dismissed the petition filed by AbdulRazak Atunwa and the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), challenging the educational qualification of governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq .
Delivering the judgement, Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Bassey Effiong, said all documents and certificates presented by the respondents during the election were not forged.
The tribunal held that AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq did not violate the provisions of sections 177 of the constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria based on the certificates he presented to contest the election.
Justice Effiong held that the word Rahman was valid and that the assertion that the name written on the certificate did not start with Abdul is not a strong argument.
He said the petitioner has not been able to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt as enshrined in sections 35(5)(6) of the electoral act 2010 as amended.
The tribunal held that the evidence of pw1 and pw2 did not prove the case of the petitioner.
Justice Effiong however maintained that AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was qualified to contest as at the time of the election .
Abdulrazak Atunwa and the People’s Democratic Party( PDP) had filed a petition before the tribunal challenging the authenticity of the West African Examination Council, WAEC, result presented by governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq as well as his competence to contest the March 9th 2019 governorship election in the state.
