Tribunal nullifies Taraba ex-acting governor’s senatorial election

Jalingo -  The Taraba State National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal has nullified the election of the former acting Governor of the state, Sani Abubakar Danladi as a senator representing Taraba North senatorial district, reports Thisday. Ali Sani Kona of the All Progressive Congress (APC) had approached the tribunal challenging the declaration of Danladi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the election on the ground that the election conducted in 54 polling units in three local government areas of Karim Lamido, Zing and Yorro were marred by irregularities. He prayed the tribunal to declare the election inconclusive and order a fresh election in the 54 polling units to determine the actual winner of the election. In its ruling, the tribunal held that the 1st and 2nd petitioners, Kona and APC respectively have given satisfactory evidence to prove their case. Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ibrahim Yusuf who read the judgment held that given the evidence before it, election in 48 out of the 54 polling units complained of by the petitioners were not conducted in compliance with the electoral act, as there were evidence of over voting and non-accreditation of voters in the units, yet results were declared by the 1st respondent, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He noted that the scores awarded to Danladi in the 48 polling units are null and void and declared the election inconclusive. He ordered that the certificate of return issued to Danladi should be set aside and election conducted in the 48 polling units within 90 days and the result added to both contestants to determine the winner. ----Thisday.com SHARE THIS POST