The FCT Election Petition Tribunal sitting at the Magistrates’ Court, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, has nullified the election of the Chairman of Bwari Area Council, John Gabaya, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Delivering judgement, the three-member panel led by Chief Magistrate Muinat Olashade Oyekan, declared Shekwolo Haruna Audi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 12, 2022, chairmanship election in the area.
She held that Gabaya did not win the majority of lawful votes cast.
She said the APC candidate scored the highest number of votes cast owing to the results of some polling units at in some wards that were not recorded for the APC candidate.
She, therefore, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Gabaya and present it to Audi as the duly elected Chairman of Bwari.
Reacting to the judgement, the Secretary of Bwari Area Council, Kedenya Peter, described the judgement as laughable, saying the judgement would be appealed.
She also directed the FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, or any person acting on his behalf, to swear in the APC candidate, Murtala Usman Karshi, as Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
Furthermore, the tribunal ordered INEC to conduct supplementary election for the chairmanship in nine polling units across six political wards of Kuje Area Council.
While ruling on a petition filed by the APC chairmanship candidate, Hamidu Sarki Gaube, the tribunal nullified election conducted across the affected polling units that favoured the Chairman of the council, Abdullahi Suleiman Sabo, of the PDP.
She said, “From the foregoing, it is clear that the petitioner (APC) has established their claims and the judgement is hereby entered in their favour. And this tribunal, therefore, has nullified election across the affected polling units while INEC is hereby directed to conduct a supplementary election within 90 days.”
The affected polling units are Central Primary School in Gudunkarya Ward; Chief’s Palace in Yenche Ward; Tusha Gwargwada in Gwargwada Ward; Kiyi in Chibiri Ward; Rubochi Primary School, among others.
The PDP Chairman in Kuje Area Council, Alhaji Mohammed Ismaila Dogara, while reacting to the judgement, said the party was unperturbed, assuring that PDP would always win if election was conducted 100 times.
He said the council would not appeal the judgement, while urging members and supporters of the party to remain calm as the PDP would still win the supplementary election.
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