The National and State Assembly Electoral Petition Tribunal, sitting in Kano, has annulled the election of Yusuf Datti, a member of the House of Representatives representing the Kura/Madobi/Garùn-Malam federal constituency.
Datti is a member of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
The court ruled that Datti did not comply with the guidelines of the 2022 Electoral Law.
The court found that Datti, an employee of Bayero University, Kano did not resign his appointment at the university, 30 days before the elections, as provided in the Electoral Law, 2022.
Therefore, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Musa Kwankwaso, who came second, was declared winner of the vote.
On Sunday, Chief Justice Ngozi Azinge ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to annul the certificate of return previously issued to Datti and declared Kwankwaso the winner of the election.
“Electoral rules and regulations are crucial to maintaining the integrity of our democratic process. Failure to comply with these rules can have serious consequences, Azinge said when delivering the verdict.
In his response to the court ruling, Mr. Kwankwaso expressed his gratitude and commitment to serving his people.
“I thank the judiciary for upholding the rule of law and ensuring that the will of the people prevails. “I am ready to discharge my responsibilities as the elected representative of the Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam constituency,” said an elated Mr. Kwankwaso, former Commissioner for Rural Development in Kano.
Meanwhile, the court also confirmed the election of Sani Bala of the APC representing Kunchi Tsanyawa Federal Constituency.
NNPP candidate Abdullahi Muhammad unsuccessfully challenged Mr Bala in court.
Mrs. Azinge ruled that the three witnesses presented by the petitioner before the court lacked cognitive value.
“We found contradictions and discrepancies in the testimonies of MP1, MP2 and MP3 respectively.
It is the duty of the petitioner to not only prove but prove to the court that the respondent did not obtain a majority of the votes cast during the election.
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“This petition is dismissed for lack of merit, the judge ruled.
With Sunday’s ruling, the NNPP has lost two seats in the House of Representatives to the opposition APC in Kano.
In August, the election petition court annulled the election of the member representing the Tarauni federal constituency, Mukhtar Yarima.
The election of Mr. Yerima, a member of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), was annulled for falsification of certificates.
The candidate of the Congress of all progressives (APC) Hafizu Kawu, challenged Mr Yerima’s election in court for allegedly falsifying his primary school certificate.