The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting at Wuse Zone 3, presided over by Justice Pius Idiong, has upheld the mandate of the member representing Abuja South Federal Constituency, Alhaji Abdulrahman Ajiya as winner of the February 25, 2023 House of Representatives election.
In a three-hour unanimous judgement read by Justice Hadiza Shagari, by the three-man tribunal dismissed the petition of Alhaji Hassan Usman Sokodabo of the (PDP) for lacking merit and awarded N200, 000 cost to the petitioner.
The justices held that the petitioner, Sokodabo, failed to prove his petition as his (petitioner’s) witnesses PW1, PW2 and PW3, being subpoenaed witnesses that testified before the tribunal, did not have any sworn witness statement contrary to paragraph 4(5) of the 1st Schedule to the Electoral Act 2022.
The tribunal relied on the case of ANDP versus INEC and others, saying all evidences and documents tendered by the witnesses were inadmissible.
The tribunal added that the evidence of Pw4, who was a collation agent at the election, was hearsay evidence, saying the petitioner’s witness was not present in any of the polling units where violence was said to have occurred.
“On the whole, the petitioner has failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt. And we cannot put something on non-existing thing, which will definitely collapse. The petition is here dismissed for being incompetent with a cost of N200, 000 which will be paid to the first and second respondents,” the Justices ruled.
Blueprint recalls that the PDP House of Representatives candidate, Alhaji Hassan Usman Sokodabo and his party had filed a petition before the tribunal challenging the declaration of the House of Representatives member, Alhaji Abdulrahman Ajiya of APC by INEC as winner of the February 25, 2023 election for Abuja South federal constituency.
