Adamawa election: Tribunal throws out petitions against 2 PDP Reps members

By Christiana Ekpa

The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, has dismissed petitions filed against two members of the House of Representatives.

The tribunal on Monday dismissed the petitions instituted against Mohammed Salihu, who represents Girei/Yola South/Yola North federal constituency, and Jingi Rufai, a member representing Maiha/Mubi North/Mubi South federal constituency, respectively.

The two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were dragged before the tribunal by the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Magaji Jaafar, and Abubakar Baba Zango.

In his petition, Zango alleged that Salihu presented a forged primary school certificate and birth certificate. He asked the tribunal to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue him a certificate of return as he came second during the election.

Jaafar, too, had instituted a petition alleging that Rufai, who was declared the winner of the election conducted on February 25, 2023, was not validly elected due to overvoting.

He also asked the tribunal to nullify INEC’s proclamation of Rufai as the winner of the election and also compel the electoral body to withdraw the certificate of return given to the PDP candidate. He also prayed that the tribunal should order INEC to return him as the candidate elected.

Delivering the judgement in the petition filed by Abubakar Magaji Jaafar, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Aloysius Okuma, declared that the petitioner had failed to provide credible evidence to prove his case. He dismissed the petition in its entirety and awarded N600,000 against the petitioner and in favour of Jingi Rufai.

While delivering judgement on Abubakar Baba Zango’s petition against Mohammed Salihu, Justice Nkereuuwem Obot dismissed the petition for lacking merit and awarded N600,000 against Zango.