Tribunal sacks Sokoto House of Rep member

• …orders another rerun within 90 days

The National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Sokoto State has declared the rerun election for the Yabo-Shagari federal constituency inconclusive, ordering another rerun within 90 days.

The election, initially won by Umar Yusuf Yabo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was first declared inconclusive. A rerun was subsequently conducted on February 3rd, in which the same candidate won again.

In a unanimous judgment read by its chairman, Justice Ashu A. Ewah, the tribunal on Monday held that the election was marred by irregularities.

The tribunal ordered a rerun to be conducted in two polling units and mandated the lawmaker to pay N500,000 as damages to the petitioner, Abubakar Yabo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Furthermore, the tribunal directed INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to the lawmaker.

In response, Yabo stated his intention to appeal against the judgment.