BREAKING: Details emerge a tribunal sacks prominent House of Reps member

• The Sokoto Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal has annulled the election of a member, Umar Yusuf Yabo
• The tribunal also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a rerun election in four affected polling units within 90 days
• INEC is required to withdraw Yabo's certificate of return and organize new elections in specific polling units in Yabo and Shagari LGAs

The House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Sokoto has annulled the election of Umar Yusuf Yabo, a National Assembly member representing the Yabo/Shagari federal constituency.

The tribunal also ordered Yabo (Danmaje) to pay 500,000 naira in damages to the petitioner.

House of Representative member, Umar Yusuf Yabo, has been sacked by a tribunal in Sokoto state Photo credit: Umar Yusuf Yabo/@Naija_PR
Source: UGC

In a unanimous decision read by tribunal chairman Justice Ashu A. Ewah, a three-judge panel declared Yabo's election null and inconclusive.

Other tribunal members include Justice Helen N. HammanJoda and Justice Ali T. Changbo.

Reason for court's decision

Justice Ewah stated that the election, conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2023, and the rerun on February 3, 2024, were marred by malpractices and violence, leading to the decision, as reported by Vanguard.

The tribunal directed INEC to organize and conduct another rerun election within 90 days.

The rerun will be conducted in four affected polling units in the Yabo and Shagari local government areas, Leadership reported.

The specific polling units include Dagawa Maji Kira, Dagawa Mai Zane, Shiyar Magaji, Kesoji Shiyar Hakimi, Jaredi Maji Kira, and Mazoji, located in both Shagari and Yabo LGAs.

Additionally, the tribunal ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Umar Yusuf Yabo and conduct elections in the affected polling units within 90 days.

Appeal court affirms Ododo as Kogi governor

In another development, Legit.ng reported that on Thursday, July 11, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja affirmed Usman Ododo as the duly elected governor of Kogi state.

In the judgement delivered on Thursday, July 11, a three-member appellate court panel dismissed the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Murtala Ajaka, its governorship candidate.

The appellate court also held that the issue of alleged certificate forgery ought to have commenced at a federal high court as a pre-election matter.

Source: Legit.ng