The National/ State House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano, on Tuesday, dismissed the petition filed by Abba Umar Ganduje of the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the victory of Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for Rimin Gado/Dawakin Tofa/ Tofa/Federal House of Representatives Election held on 25th February 2023.
Counsel to the petitioner, Mr. Murtala Abdulgafar, urged the court to declare Umar, son of the former Kano State Governor, Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, as the winner of the election and set aside the earlier declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission that Jobe was the winner.
Abdulgafar alleged that the Rimin Gado, Dawakin Tofa, and Tofa Constituency election was marred with irregularities, over-voting, and non-compliance, with the Electoral Act.
During the hearing, counsel to NNPP, Ibrahim Wangida; and counsel to Jobe, Mr. Auwal Sani urged the court to dismiss the petition, adding that the election was conducted, in accordance with the 2022 electoral act
Delivering judgement, the three-man panel dismissed the petition for lack of merit. The judges also averred that the petitioner failed to present sufficient evidence to support the allegation raised.
To this extent, the tribunal awarded the sum of N200,000 to the respondents, jointly and severally.
