THE National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting at the Minna High Court complex has upheld the election of Senator Sani Musa of All Progressive Congress (APC),
Senator Sani was dragged to the Tribunal by Barrister Ibrahim Isyaku (SAN) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the election of the second respondent at the February 25, 2023, National Assembly Election of Niger East Senatorial district.
The petitioner in his Petition filed on the 7th of June 2023, claimed that the election was marred with unprecedented irregularities, over-voting, and denial of eligible voters to cast their in seven out of local governments that make up the senatorial districts.
He further alleged that the first respondent in the petition the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) did not conduct the election in conformity with the provision of the Electoral Act 2022.
The PDP candidate claimed that the second respondent election should be nullified as he did not score the majority of the vote cast.
He also argued that in most of the polling units in six out of the nine local government areas of the Senatorial district, BVAS machines were not used and most of the voters were not accredited to vote.
The petitioner sought among other prayers before the Tribunal that the February 25 2023 election of the Niger East senatorial district result sheet were not signed
He prayed the Tribunal to set aside the election and declare him the rightful and lawful winner having scored the majority of the vote cast at most of the polling units in the seven out of the nine local governments.
A total of 37 exhibits and two witnesses as well as three supoened witnesses were presented and evidence was admitted during the pre-hearing trial at the Tribunal.
Among the subpoenaed witnesses include the presiding officer and the electoral officer of Shiroro and Chanchaga local government as well as the polling agents all testified at the Tribunal.
In over four hours judgement delivered by Justice Mohammed Rashid, a member two of the three-man panel of the Tribunal after painstakingly reviewing the petition avered that the petitioner failed in totality to prove all the allegations raised in his petition, and the petition was dismissed as it lacks merit.
