BREAKING: Tribunal Sacks Prominent Senator, Orders Supplementary Election

• The Kogi East Senatorial Election Tribunal has sacked Senator Jibrin Isah on the grounds that votes were cancelled in some 94 polling units
• The Tribunal also ordered Nigeria’s electoral body to conduct a supplementary election in the affected 94 polling units
• Isah’s victory in the February 2023 poll is being challenged by Victor Adoji, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

Lokoja, Kogi state – The Kogi East Senatorial Election Tribunal on Tuesday, September 5, sacked Senator Jibrin Isah.

Senator Isah, the Senate Committee Chairman on Customs Excise and Tariffs, was dismissed because votes were cancelled in some 94 polling units during the February 2023 election, Voice of Nigeria reported.

APC Senator ‘loses’ senatorial seat

The tribunal also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a supplementary election in the affected polling units.

Legit.ng recalls that the petition against Senator Isah was brought before the tribunal by Victor Adoji, the flagbearer of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Isah is a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

As reported by Nigerian Tribune, the tribunal chairman, Justice Kemakolam Anthony Orjiako, who delivered the judgment, agreed with the prayers of Adoji. He also ordered the withdrawal of his certificate of return.

Adoji had challenged Isah’s triumph on the ground that elections were cancelled in some polling units where the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) collected were more than the margin of his win.

Justice Orjiako said:

“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 have granted the reliefs sought by the Petitioners. We also set aside the Certificate of Return issued to Jibrin Isah.”

Tribunal sacks LP’s candidate

In a piece of related news, Legit.ng reported that the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, Delta State, nullified the election of Ngozi Okolie of the Labour Party (LP) as a member representing Aniocha/Oshimili Constituency at the House of Representatives.

The tribunal in a judgement on Monday, July 24, held that Okolie was not duly sponsored by the LP as he was not a member of the party as of May 28, 2022, when the primary was purportedly held.

Court sacks House of Reps member

Legit.ng also reported that the Kano State national and state House of Assembly elections petition tribunal sacked Muktar Umar Yerima of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as a lawmaker representing the Tarauni Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

Justice I.P. Chima-led three-person panel nullified the election of Yerima in the 2023 general election over alleged certificate forgery of his primary school certificate that was submitted to the INEC.

Source: Legit.ng