Tribunal orders re-run in 7 polling units in Bauchi

By Samuel Luka, Bauchi

The victory of House of Representatives member for Katagum Central Federal Constituency, Rep. Abdulkadir Sarki has suffered set back as the Bauchi state House of Assembly and National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal on Thursday ordered a re-run election in seven polling units of the constituency.

Secretary of the tribunal, Abdulkadir Abdullahi, who made this known, said the three members of the tribunal led by its Chairman, Justice Bello Tukar ruled that the certificate of return issued to the first respondent, Rep. Sarki be withdrawn.

Abdullahi added that the tribunal also ordered that the re-run election be conducted within 90 days from the day the judgement was delivered.

“The petition with number EPT/NASE/BA/4/2019 in the case of Ibrahim Baba against Rep. Sarki and four others. The conclusion is that the petition succeeds in part, to the extent that the seven polling centres cancelled by the third respondent, that is INEC, an election for re-run has been ordered in those centres,” he added.

The tribunal secretary further revealed that “the judges directed that the certificate of return issued to the first respondent as a result of the election of February 23 should be withdrawn.”

Also, the tribunal in its judgment in the petition between Hamma Misau, Haliru Jika and two others dismissed the petition for lack of merit.

“The petition number EPT/NASE/BA/14‎, Isa Hamma Misau and another, that is his political party and Haliru Dauda Jika and two others, the petition is dismissed for lacking in merit by the same panel unanimously,” Abdullahi said.