The National/State House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal in Kano has ruled against Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, son of the former Kano State Governor and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The tribunal dismissed Umar Ganduje’s petition challenging the election victory of Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe, a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), for the Rimin Gado/Dawakin Tofa/Tofa Federal House of Representatives Election held on February 25, 2023.
Umar Ganduje had filed the petition contesting the emergence of Abdulkadir Jobe as the elected representative for the Rimin Gado, Dawakin Tofa, and Tofa Constituency, alleging irregularities, over-voting, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act during the election.
During the hearing, Mr. Abdulgafar Murtala, counsel to the petitioner, called on the court to declare Umar Ganduje as the winner and invalidate the earlier declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that had announced Jobe as the victor.
However, the counsel to the NNPP, Ibrahim Wangida, and counsel to Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe, Mr. Auwal Sani, argued that the election had been conducted in accordance with the 2022 electoral act and urged the court to dismiss the petition.
In their verdict, the three-man panel of judges ruled that the petition lacked merit, highlighting the petitioner’s failure to provide substantial evidence to substantiate the allegations made. As a result, the tribunal awarded a sum of N200,000 to the respondents, jointly and severally.
