Tribunal upholds elections of two Sokoto lawmakers

The State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Sokoto on Wednesday upheld the elections of members of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, representing Gada East constituency, Hon. Kabiru Dauda and Rabah Constituency, Hon. Abubakar Zakari.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the March 9, 2019 Gada East constituency polls, Hon. Garba Yakubu Tsitse, challenged the declaration of Dauda of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) as the winner of the election.

Similarly, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the March 9, 2019 election into the Rabah Constituency, Hon. Abubakar Gandi challenged the declaration of Zakari of APC as the winner of the poll.

In their respective petitions, the petitioners alleged that the respondents did not score the majority of lawful votes cast, and that the elections were not conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, and the INEC Guidelines for the 2019 General Elections.

In his judgements, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ubale Yusuf, said both petitions lacked merit.

He explained that the petitioners failed to prove their cases.

Justice Yusuf therefore dismissed the petitions.