Tribunal Nullifies Gombe PDP Rep Member’s Election

PDPThe National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Gombe, has nullified the election of Hon. Samaila Mu’azu Hassan as member representing Akko Federal Constituency of Gombe state.

Hassan, was declared winner of an Appeal Court ordered re-run election in the constituency on January 27, 2016 by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The appellate court had nullified the National Assembly election earlier conducted by INEC in the state on March 28, 2015

But following a petition by the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Alhaji Hamma Adama Ali Kumo, challenging the conduct of the re-run election, the tribunal, chaired by Justice Mohammed Saidu Sifawa, declared the exercise null and void on Friday.

In his ruling, Justice Sifawa said the tribunal based its decision on the fact that the APC and its candidate were omitted in the re-run polls as ordered by the Appeal Court.

The tribunal held that the Law provides full rights for all political parties to contest and participate in any election to be conducted by INEC.

It also declared that Kumo was validly nominated by the APC to contest the Akko Federal Constituency election but was unlawfully excluded by INEC.

The APC had dragged INEC and PDP as co-respondents before the tribunal, challenging the outcome of the re-run election conducted in the state by the commission, which returned Hassan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner.