Tribunal upholds PDP senator’s election in Kaduna

The National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna on Monday upheld the election of Senator Danjuma La’ah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Kaduna South Senatorial District.

The three-member tribunal in a ruling, read by Justice N.U. Daniel, dismissed the petition of Barnabas Bantex for lack of credibility.

Bantex, the former deputy governor of the state was the Kaduna South senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 23 National Assembly election.

He had petitioned the tribunal, asking it to nullify the election of Sen. La’ah of the PDP, who the electoral umpire said won the poll with 268, 923 votes as against the 133, 287 votes scored by the former deputy governor.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll, Bantex approached the tribunal alleging that the winner was not validly elected by majority votes cast at the poll.

He also alleged non-compliance to provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, accusing INEC of abandoning the use of card reader which he alleged led to over- voting in some polling units in seven out of the eight local government areas that made up the senatorial zone.

The former deputy governor also alleged that the poll was characterized by ballot stuffing, disenfranchisement of voters and violence in some areas, and called 19 witnesses during the trial.

But, the tribunal in its ruling, however, said Bantex and his party failed to provide substantial evidence of all allegations contained in the petition.

The tribunal contended that the 19 witnesses who testified before it, failed to present convincing evidence to warrant the nullification of the election.

It said that most information the witnesses gave under cross-examination were different from what they presented to the tribunal in their written depositions.

According to the tribunal the witnesses failed to provide evidence of allegations of over-voting, massive rigging, ballot snatching and violence as alleged in the petition.

“Most of the witnesses told the tribunal that the elections were conducted in those affected areas within the time stipulated by the Electoral Act 2010.

“Results of the elections were collated and announced by INEC electoral officers and all party agents signed on results sheets as stipulated by law,” Justice Daniel said.

The tribunal said the petitioners did not tender material evidence of either voters’ register or voters’ cards to prove the allegation of INEC’s non compliance with the Electoral Act 2010. (NAN)