Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Sokoto State on Saturady upheld the victories of two House of Representatives members in the 2019 General Elections.
They are: Hon. Muhammad Saidu Baragaja of the People Democratic Party (PDP), representing Sabon Birni/Isa Federal constituency, and Hon. Musa Sarki Adar of the All Progressive Congress (APC), representing Gada/Goronyo Federal constituency.
The victories of Baragaja and Sarki were challenged by Aminu Sani Isa of the APC and Muhammad Bello Aliyu of the PDP, respectively, for allegations of electoral malpractices and non compliance with the provision of the 2010 Electoral Act.
But delivering judgement on the case of Hon. Baragaja, the chairman of a 3-man panel, Justice P A Akhihiero, held that the petitioner had failed to prove his case of election malpractices against the respondent.
He said the issues raised that armed bandits attacked the local government which affected the conduct of the election on election day could not be proved as there was no security report to back it up.
On the issue of non compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act, the Tribunal also submitted that it was a duty of the petitioner to prove non compliance in an election.
The panel also added that the petitioner had not showed that the non compliance adversely affected the outcome of the election as stipulated in the Electoral Act.
He, therefore, dismissed the petition for lack of merit and awarded the sum of twenty thousand naira to be paid to the respondents.
In the case between Muhammad Aliyu and Sarki Adar, Justice A N Yakubu held that the petitioner failed to prove his case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The panel also dismissed the petition for lack of merit and also awarded the sum of twenty thousand naira to be paid to the respondents.