Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
The National and States Assembles Elections Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Sokoto, on Thursday upheld the election of the House Leader, Sokoto State House of Assembly, who also represents Illela Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Bello Isa Ambarura.
The Tribunal has therefore dismissed the Petition filed against his election by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Hon. Dayyabu Adamu Kalmalo.
Kalmalo had challenged the declaration of Ambarura as the winner of the March 9 2019, election into the Constiteuncy conducted by the 3rd Respondent, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Kalmalo had submitted before the trbunal, among others that, the House Leader was not duly elected, as he has not scored the majority of the lawful votes cast.
He had also alleged that, there was substantial non compliance with the nation’s electoral laws, which had affected the outcome of the poll.
He further alleged that, the election was invalid by reason of some electoral malpractices and that, the return of Ambarura as the winner by INEC was invalid, while all the votes cast for Ambarura were null, void and wasted.
Kalmalo had also among others, prayed the Tribunal to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Ambarura, he be issued with it by INEC, return him as the winner and alternatively, order for fresh elections in the Polling Units where the results were cancelled.
However, in his Judgment, Justice I. Iwodi, dismissed the petition for want of merit ,with no costs awarded. The tribunal averred that, the Petitioners have failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt and they only presented hearsay evidences.
He added that, the burden of proof of the various criminal allegations made by the Petitioners solely rested on them and that they have failed to do so.
He further upheld that, the 1st Respondent, Ambarura, was duly elected, as he has scored the majority of the lawful votes cast.
In the same vein, Justice Iwodi submitted that, the election of the House Leader was valid and there was no need for any order of the Tribunal to INEC to conduct rerun polls.
Similarly, he upheld that, the election conducted by the Commission was done in compliance with all the subsisting electoral laws in the country.