Tribunal upholds election of ex-Niger governor.

Justice Angela Otaluka delivered the judgement in Minna on Wednesday.

The News correspondent reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Sani-Bello of the All Progressive Congress (APC) winner of the election held on Feb. 25. Also Read: https://legalattorneyblog.com/2023/08/15/election-tribunal-all-eyes-on-the-judiciary-the-story-so-far/

Sani-Bello, the immediate former governor of Niger, defeated his closest rival, Shehu Abdullahi, the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Abdullahi, however, approached the tribunal challenging the declaration of Sani-Bello as the winner on the premise that the election was marred by irregularities, including multiple voting.

In his petition, Abdullahi prayed to the court through his counsel Hussaini Garba to nullify Sani Bello’s election and declare him the winner, having scored the highest number of valid votes.

In the over three hours judgment, Otaluka said that the tribunal, having reviewed the whole proceedings, ruled that the petitioner had failed to prove the issue of overvoting raised in the petition.

She also said that the petition lacked merit and dismissed it.

The tribunal upheld the election of Sani-Bello and directed the petitioner to give ₦250,000 as the cost to the respondent.

Similarly, the tribunal has upheld the election of Sen. Peter Ndalikali of the PDP, representing Niger South Senatorial District.

Sen. Mohammed Bima of the APC had filed a petition against Ndalikali’s election, claiming he scored the most valid votes during the Feb. 25 national assembly election.

Bima prayed to the tribunal to nullify the election of Ndalikali and declare him the rightful winner.

Otaluka, while dismissing the petition, declared that the allegations raised by Bima were not substantiated and rejected the petition for lack of merit.