The Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna has nullified the election of the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Alhassan Doguwa, and ordered fresh election into Tudunwada/Doguwa Federal constituency, Kano state seat.
Doguwa’s declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the winner of the February 23rd election into constituency seat was challenged by the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the elections, Air Commodore Salisu Shehu before the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano state on allegations of over voting and other electoral malpractices.
The three-man tribunal led by Justice Nayai Aganaba in its Judgement, dismissed the petition on the grounds that the petitioners failed to prove their case.
Shehu, being dissatisfied with the judgement, challenged the ruling of the tribunal before the Court of Appeals, the highest court of appeal in National and State Assembly matters.
The Court of Appeal in its judgement on Monday, nullified the election and consequently ordered INEC to conduct fresh election into the constituency seat.
The court nullified the entire election in the two local government areas Doguwa represents as the whole process was marred by irregularities.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie, the appellate court held that the entire election could not hold as omitted other parties were from the final declaration of the result.
The court said that INEC, made a substantial breach by writing the results of only two parties out of 53 parties that participated in the election in Form EC 8 (II) E.
The Nigerian News
