Politics

Kiru/Bebeji: Tribunal dismisses petition challenging victory of NNPP’s Kofa

The National House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano, on Tuesday, averred that failure of Muhammad Said Kiru of APC to call cogent witnesses to prove disenfranchisement during the conduct of Kiru/Bebeji House of Representatives was fatal to his own petition against the victory of Abdulmumini Jibrin Kofa of NNPP.

The three-panel Judge presided over by Justice Ngozi Flora held that the documents before the Tribunal by both parties indicated that Abdulmumini Jibrin Kofa resigned his position as Executive Secretary of Federal Housing Authority, 1 year 30 days before the conduct of the election conducted on 25th Feb. 2023 against the assertion of the Petitioner.

Justice Flora then stated that; “The petitioner has failed woefully to prove that there was Electoral malpractices and not being in compliance with the provision of Electoral Act, 2022 as amended”.

The Tribunal therefore said that; “This Petitioner is hereby dismissed for lack of merit. The sum of N100,000 cost is awarded, jointly and severally against the Petitioner in favour of the Respondents”.

It be recalled that Muhammad Kiru filed the petition praying the Tribunal to declare the victory of Abdulmumini Jibrin Kofa’s victory during the poll null and void alleging that the entire election was marred by overvoting, thuggery, violence, ballot stuffing, non-accreditation of voters, disenfranchisement of voters among other electoral irregularities and malpractices.

The petitioner further alleged that the respondent was not qualified to contest the election claiming that his name was not in the membership register sent to INEC 30 days before primary election of the NNPP and that according to him contravened the provisions of Electoral Act, 2022 as amended.

Kiru further alleged that the Electoral umpire, INEC generated the results manual and electronically in 18 polling units which according to him affected outcomes of the result and rendered it invalid.

To prove his petition on merit, Muhd Kiru called 12 witnesses including himself, party agents and tendered some documents.

On his part, through his counsel, Abdulmumini Jibrin Kofa denied all the allegations by the petitioner.

In his Written Testimony on Oath, the respondent said he resigned his position from the former employer, Federal Housing Authority on 20th Dec. 2023 against the assertion of the Petitioner.

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