The National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano has voided the election of Yusuf Datti, the member of the House of Representatives representing Kura/ Madobi/ Garùn-Malam federal constituency.
Datti is a member of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP).
The tribunal ruled that Datti failed to comply with the guidelines of the Electoral Act 2022.
The tribunal found that Datti, a staffer of the Bayero University, Kano, did not resign from his appointment at the university, 30 days before the election as mandated by the Electoral Act, 2022.
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Musa Kwankwaso, who came second, was, therefore, declared the winner of the poll.
On Sunday, the chairperson of the tribunal, Ngozi Azinge, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to set aside the certificate of return earlier issued to Datti and declared Kwankwaso as the winner of the election.
“Electoral rules and regulations are crucial in maintaining the integrity of our democratic process. Failure to adhere to these rules can have serious consequences, Mr Azinge said while delivering the verdict.
In his response to the tribunal judgement, Mr Kwankwaso expressed gratitude and commitment to serve his people.
“I appreciate the judiciary for upholding the rule of law and ensuring that the will of the people prevails. I am ready to fulfill my responsibilities as the elected representative for the Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam constituency, the elated Kwankwaso, who is a former commissioner for Rural Development in Kano,”
Meanwhile, the tribunal also affirmed the election of Sani Bala of the APC representing Kunchi Tsanyawa federal constituency.
The candidate of the NNPP, Abdullahi Muhammad, challenged Bala unsuccessfully at the tribunal.
Mrs Azinge ruled that the three witnesses presented by the petitioner at the tribunal lacked cognitive values.
“We found contradictory and discrepancies in the testimonies of PW1, PW2 and PW 3 respectively,” she said.
It is the duty of the petitioner not only to show but to demonstrate to the tribunal that the respondent didn’t score the majority of the votes cast during the election. (Premium Times)
