Breaking: Tribunal Upholds Gagdi Election, Dismisses Timothy Golu Petition

By Jide Afolabi, Jos

The National/State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting at High Court in Jos, Plateau state has upheld the election of Hon Yusuf Gagdi of the All Progressive Congress, APC, into the House of Representatives for Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam Federal Constituency.

The tribunal also dismissed the petition filed by the former member of the House of Representatives representing the same constituency and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the election, Hon Timothy Golu.

In a five-hour judgment delivered today, the tribunal held that the petitioner failed to prove its case of corruption or non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

The tribunal in its ruling against the petitioner said that the case of corruption or non-compliance with the Electoral Act should have been argued separately in lieu of lumping them together.

The tribunal therefore struck out the petition on technical ground.

While speaking on the judgement, the defender, Hon Yusuf Gagdi said that it was an articulate judgment. He thanked God for the judgment and appreciated his teeming supporters.

He noted that he should be the one complaining about the election saying that how could Golu who was not from Kanam scored 22, 000 votes while him who was the son of the soil scored 17, 000?

He said that despite the religious and ethnic conspiracy against him, God still makes him to triumph.