Kano: NNPP Challenges Majority Leader's Victory

The National and State House Assembly Election Petition Tribunal Sitting in Kano has ordered court processes to be served on Majority Leader Federal House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa through substituted means.

This is coming after a fresh petition filed by the NNPP and its candidate, Air Commodore Salisu Yusha’u Ahmad retired challenging the outcome of the rerun election conducted in Tudun Wada/ Doguwa Federal Constituency, Including the decision of the INEC to schedule the rerun election in the Constituency.

The Tribunal had in April struck out the petition filed by NNPP and its Candidate sought to stop the rerun in Tudun-Wada/Doguwa Federal Constituency.

Justice L.B Lawal-Akapo, who presided over the proceedings at National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal ruled that it lacks jurisdiction to halt INEC from conducting the rerun.

The NNPP however approached the Court of Appeal Kano Division with a prayer to set aside the Tribunal decision.

Justice Watch News similarly recalls that in a judgement delivered on Friday 5th May 2023 by Justice Goerge Mbaba, the Court struck out the Appeal for lack of jurisdiction and affirmed the decision of the Tribunal and ordered the petitioner to file a petition before the Tribunal if they were not satisfied with the conduct of the Tudun-Wada/Doguwa rerun election.

Counsel to the Petitioners, Muhammad argued that Returning Officer of INEC clearly stated in public that he made Doguwa/Tudun-Wada Federal Constituency’s result declaration under duress and informed INEC of what transpired.

“But instead of INEC to cancel the election and but pinpointed 13 polling units and ordered for the rerun in order to make him scale through.”

“We are now before the Tribunal seeking it to set aside the outcome of the rerun election conducted in TudunWada/Doguwa Federal Constituency and order for a fresh election in the Constituency.” The counsel further said.

He said the election which produced Alhassan Ado Doguwa was marred with irregularities and malpractices, praying the Tribunal to set aside the certificate of return issued to him and order a fresh election to be conducted in Tudun-Wada Doguwa Federal Constituency.

He explained after he filed the petition, the Bailiff of the Tribunal was not able to find Doguwa.

“This is why through an exparte application we urged the tribunal to give us leave to serve Alhassan Ado Doguwa through substituted means.” He explained.

Barrister Bashir Yusuf, consequently said the Tribunal presided over by Justice F.N Azinge granted the exparte application and ordered the service be served on Doguwa through substituted means.