Tribunal upholds Sen. Ibrahim Bomai’s election

The Yobe state National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Wednesday upheld the election of Senator Ibrahim Bomai of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 23, general elections.

Delivering judgment yesterday, Chairman of the tribunal Justice Susan Orji, dismissed the petition filed by Senator Muhammed Hassan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for lacking in evidence.

Sen. Hassan had challenged the declaration of Sen. Bomoi and his party, the APC as winner of the election on grounds that the election that produced him was fraught with irregularities.

He also challenged the election based on allegations of multiple votes, unlawful cancellation of votes in some polling units, non -compliance with the Electoral Act and that he was not elected by majority of lawful votes.

Justice Orji held that there is no evidence to show over -voting in some of the polling units, adding that the some of the documents tendered before the tribunal in some of the polling units do not contain some of the facts pleaded before the tribunal.

According to her, the argument on the figure that some votes were cancelled is not substantiated enough because the “testimony of the majority of the witnesses were laced with hearsay evidence, to which the tribunal cannot attach any probative value.”

She said that there is no evidence before the tribunal to declare the petitioner winner of the election.

Reacting to the judgment, Sen. Bomai lauded the tribunal and the Nigerian judiciary and expressed gratitude to the APC leadership, and the people of Yobe South Senatorial District for their support.