From Yakubu Busari, Jos
The candidate for People Redemption Party (PRP) Adamu Muhammed Alkali has been declared winner of the bye-election for Jos North-Bassa federal constituency conducted in February 2022.
The tribunal declared the PRP candidate as winner of the bye-election while ruling on the petition on Friday
Alkali had petitioned the tribunal following the declaration of Hon Musa Agah, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as winner.
The tribunal insisted that it was wrong for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to have declared the PDP candidate winner because he was not validly nominated for the election.
The PRP candidate approached the tribunal and prayed to sought for six reliefs which is bordering on validly of Hon Agah nomination for the election.
According to the judgment, “whether there was substantial compliance with the electoral act in bye- election that INEC declared him winner and whether the PDP candidate actually scored the majority of votes cast during the election.
He also prayed the court to declare the Certificate of Return issued to the PDP candidate as null and void. He also seeks the court because he was declaring winner of the said election.
About six grounds of the petitioner pleaded that from the evidence before the tribunal, the candidate of PDP won the election on wrong foundation and cannot be said to be validly nominated.
In determining the issue of no compliance with the electoral law in the election said to have been won by PDP candidate, the tribunal said, “Based on the faulty foundation of the PDP candidate, the election that returned the PDP candidate failed to comply with the electoral act.
On the allegation of over voting claimed by the petitioner, the tribunal said the evidence before it has proven that there were cases of over voting in Tudun wada, Kabong and Bassa.
The tribunal therefore concluded that from the foregoing, it was cleared to the court that the Certificate of Return issued to the PDP candidate is null and void.
The court thereby ordered INEC to issue Certificate of Return to Adamu Muhammed Alkali of the PRP having scored the majority of valid votes cast during the election.
