The
Election Petition Tribunal in Katsina has nullified the election of Mansur
Mashi, APC, a House of Representative member representing Mashi/Dutsi Federal
Constituency in the state.
Two members of the House of
Representatives, Sopuluchukwu Ezeonwuka and Herman Hembe were earlier in the
year sacked by the Supreme Court.
The tribunal on Wednesday also
ordered for the conduct of fresh bye-election in 15 polling units in the
constituency where there were election irregularities.
Delivering the judgment on Wednesday
in Katsina, the tribunal chairman, Justice L.M. Boufini, said that the tribunal
was convinced that there were election irregularities during the May 20, 2017,
bye-election into the constituency.
He said that some electorate were
disenfranchised from exercising their civic rights, which was against the
provisions of the Electoral Act.
Mr. Boufini said that the
petitioner had proved that some voters were not allowed to exercise their civic
rights and card reader malfunction during the election.
He said that INEC had also
cancelled results of some polling units where thugs disrupted the election. The chairman directed that
election should be conducted within 90 days from the date of the judgment.
However, the counsel to the
respondents, Earnest Obunadike, said his client would appeal against the
judgement. By
tradition, Mr. Mashi will remain in the House until the appellate court decides
the matter.
The PDP candidate, Nazifi Yusuf,
went to the tribunal to challenge the election of the APC candidate during the
May 20, bye-election, conducted following the death of the former Rep member,
Sani Bello.
Source: Premium Times
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