Tribunal upholds elections of APC, PDP rep members in Sokoto

The National election petition tribunal sitting in Sokoto has upheld the election of two members of House of Representatives members elected on the platform of both All Progressive Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The two members of the House of Representatives who had their election upheld were Hon Muhammad Saidu Baragaja of PDP representing Sabon Birni/ Isa Federal constituency and Musa Sarki Adar of APC representing Gada/Goronyo Federal constituency.

The victory of Baragaja and Sarki were challenged by Aminu Sani Isa ( APC) and Muhammad Bello Aliyu of (PDP) respectively for alleged electoral malpractices and non-compliance with the provision of the 2010 Electoral Act as amended.

In his ruling on Baragaja, the Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice P A Akhihiero held that Aminu Sani Isa failed to prove his case of election malpractices.

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On the issue raised by the petitioner that on the election day, Armed bandits attacked Isa local government which he claimed affected the conduct of the election, the tribunal dismissed the claimed, saying, there was no security report to substantiate that.

Also, on the issue of non-compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act, the tribunal held that it was a duty of the petitioner to prove non-compliance in an election, adding that he must also show 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 the respondents.

In a separate ruling on the case between Muhammad Aliyu and Sarki Adar, Justice AN Yakubu, held that the petitioner failed to prove his case beyond a reasonable doubt. He also dismissed the petition for lack of merit and also awarded the sum of twenty thousand naira to be paid to the respondents.