JUST IN :Tribunal Sacks Kano NNPP Lawmaker

National/State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano has on Sunday sacked the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP lawmaker representing Kura/ Madobi/Garun Malam Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Yusuf Umar Datti.

The three man panel in a judgment read by Justice Flora Azinge voided the election of Datti of NNPP for not resigning from Bayero University, Kano, BUK 30 days before the election.

Justice Azinge consequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to set aside the certificate of return earlier issued to Datti and declare the All Progressive Congress, APC candidate, Musa Ilyasu Kwankwaso as winner of the election having scored the second highest votes during the Feb. 25th, 2023 election.

In another vein, the tribunal has affirmed the election of an All Progressive Congress, APC candidate, Engr. Sani Bala Tsanyawa against the assertion by NNPP’s candidate, Abdullahi Safiyanu Muhammad that the Kunchi/Tsanyawa Federal House Representatives Election held on 25th Feb. was marred by irregularities and non incompliance with the Electoral Act, 2022.

The Chairman of the Panel, Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge held that the 3 witnesses presented by the Petitioner lacks cognitive values.

“We found contradictory and discrepancies in the testimonies of PW1, PW2 and PW 3 respectively.”

Azinge averred that, it is the duty of Petitioner not only to show but to demonstrate to the Tribunal that the respondent didn’t score the majority of the votes cast during the election.

She further upheld that he who asserts must to prove. “This petition is hereby dismissed for lacking in merit.

“All parties should bear own cost,” Azinge said. Meanwhile, the development didn’t go down well with supporters of the NNPP in the state as it has continued to generated reactions in their circle.