Appeal Court Dismisses LP’s Petition, Affirms PDP’s Senator’s Victory

In a decisive ruling, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed Senator Sunday Marshall Katung’s win as the elected representative for the Kaduna South senatorial zone.

Presiding over a three-member panel, Justice Moore A. A. Adumein upheld the earlier judgment of the National/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Kaduna, dismissing the petition of the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Michael Ayuba Auta, on the grounds of lacking merit.

The Court of Appeal echoed the tribunal’s decision, supporting Senator Sunday Marshall Katung’s victory from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Justice Adumein emphasized the tribunal’s thoroughness in its decision-making process, affirming its correctness.

The court pointed out that the LP candidate failed to provide substantial evidence for the alleged irregularities during the February 25th election. The allegation of unlawful votes allocated to the winner couldn’t be substantiated, further strengthening Senator Katung’s win.

In dismissing the appeal, the Court of Appeal imposed a fine of N600,000 against Michael Ayuba Auta, favoring Senator Sunday Marshall Katung, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the PDP.