ASHENEWS reports that the Sokoto National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, on Friday, dismissed the petition against the election of Abdussamad Dasuki.
He was elected as member to represent Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency of Sokoto state under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Bala Kokani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had challenged Dasuki’s election on the grounds that Dasuki did not score the majority of lawful votes cast during the February 25 elections.
Kokani, in his petition, prayed the tribunal to declare him as winner, who scored the majority of lawful votes or order supplementary elections, because, according to him, the election was marred with violence and other irregularities.
However, in a unanimous judgment read on behalf of Justices Haruna Muhammad and Eke Eze, by the tribunal chairperson, Justice Josephine Oyefeso, upheld Dasuki’s election, and dismissed Kokani’s petition for lack of merit.
According to the tribunal, the petitioner was not able to prove his allegations contained in the petitions beyond reasonable doubt.
Oyefeso stressed that the witnesses and exhibits presented were not tangible enough to contradict INEC’s decision to declare Dasuki as winner of the election, adding that the burden of proof solely laid on Kokani, which he failed.
