Less than three days after the National and state Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal in Ogun state nullified the election of Senator Buruji Kasahamu of the Peoples Democratic Party, another senator from the party in Enugu has suffered smiliar fate.
The election tribunal sitting in Enugu state on Monday, October 12, sacked Senator Gilbert Nnaji, representing Enugu East Senatorial District.
Ruling in favour of the petitioner, who is also a former governer of the state, Chimaroke Nnamani, Justice Mattew Aderawa-led tribunal held that the election was marred with irregularities, Premium Times reports.
He added that the election was not conducted in line with 2010 Electoral Act and with the evidence presented by the petitioner, he void the election and ordred for a fresh one.
Aderawa ruled: “The first respondent,
while trying to deny that irregularities marred the election, exposed
more mutilations of results in polling stations where he won.
“Ballot papers were not accounted
for, which affected the outcome of the result. Irregularities occurred
in the six Local Government Areas that constitute the senatorial
district.
“Sufficient evidence was laid before
this tribunal, showing that the first respondent inflated results, while
deflating the petitioner’s result.
“These irregularities and
noncompliance were substantial to mar the outcome of the election. The
petitioner has proven beyond reasonable doubt that the election did not
comply with the provisions of the electoral act 2010.
“Based on the foregoing, we hereby void the election and order a fresh election.”
Meanwhile, the former governor of Kano state Rabiu Musa Kwankwanso’s election into the Senate had been upheld by the election tribunal sitting state capital.
The tribunal ruled that the petitioner had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt its case.
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