The Kebbi State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Birnin Kebbi yesterday nullified the election of Governor Usman Saidu Dakiagari of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Alhaji Dakingari thus became the first governor to lose election in the current democratic dispensation .
Justice Mairo Laruba Mohammed in delivering judgment in the petition brought by the governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Charge (CPC), Alhaji Garimallam, declared the election null and void. She ordered fresh eletion. The Independent National Electoral Comission (INEC) did not present the official documents it used for the election. Justice Mohammed is the chairman of the tribunal which also had two other justices.
In her judgment, the tribunal chairman said the petitioner, Alhaji Garimallam complained that the governorship election conducted by INEC witnessed a lot of irregularities, fake ballot papers and multiple voting, and prayed for the cancellation of the poll, Justice Mohammed relied on section 140 (1) (2) of the Electoral Act to nullify Dakingari’s election.
It would be recalled that the election petition tribunals last week delivered judgments in the complaints filed by aggrieved governorship candidates in the April poll. In Ilorin, the tribunal last Friday upheld the victory of Kwara State Governor Adbulfatah Ahmed following a complaint by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Mr. Dele Belgore. Justice Ngozi Emehulu said Belgore failed to prove his allegations.
Also last Friday, Governors Martin Elechi (Ebonyi) Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta) and Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) recorded victories at the tribunals.
Alhaji Dakiagari was first elected governor of Kebbi State in 2007.-sun
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