Sen. Jibrin Isah (APC), who represented the Kogi East Senatorial district, was fired by the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal, which was in Lokoja on Tuesday. The tribunal also ordered new elections to be held in 94 polling places where the results of the senatorial election from February were invalidated, Vanguard reports.
Victor Adoji, a candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had petitioned the tribunal, and Justice K. A. Orjiako, who presided over the proceedings, granted the petitioners’ requests.
Adoji, through his attorney Mr. Johnson Usman (SAN), had contested Jibrin Isah’ s return on the grounds that elections were invalidated in some polling places because the number of PVCs collected exceeded the margin by which the respondent had won.
In the senatorial district’ s 94 impacted voting units, the petitioner had asked with the tribunal to annul Isah’ s election and order a supplementary vote.
Justice K. A. Orjiako, who delivered the unanimous judgment of the tribunal, agreed with the petitioners’ arguments, nullified Isah’ s victory, and commanded the revocation of his certificate of return.
” Since the PVCs collected in the 94 polling units is 59, 730, while the margin of win is 26, 922 votes, the Returning Officer ought to have declared the election inconclusive without making a return.
” Consequently, this honourable Tribunal hereby granted the reliefs sought by the Petitioners. We also set aside the Certificate of Return issued to Jibrin Isah.
” The tribunal hereby also order INEC to conduct a supplementary election in the affected polling units where election did not hold or cancelled in order to determine the winner, ” justice Orjiako declared.
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise, and Tariffs is Sen. Jibrin Isah (APC), who is serving his second term.
Be aware that the Tribunal’ s decision requires a run- off election to be held at 94 polling places, totaling more than 70, 000 votes.
The choice was made following a careful review of the petition put out by Dr. Adoji, who had expressed worries about anomalies during the first election.
It is anticipated that the chance for a fair and open resolution of the electoral dispute between the two candidates will be presented by the rerun election.
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