By Christiana Ekpa
The appeal court sitting in Abuja has affirmed the ruling of the lower court that declared the 2023 election in the Birnin Kudu/Buji federal constituency of Jigawa State inconclusive.
Delivering the judgment, the Chairman of the Appeal Court, Justice Ogochuku Anthony Ogakwu, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a bye-election at eight polling units within 30 days.
The court gave the order in an appeal filed by Adamu Yakubu, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate who was declared winner of the election by INEC.
Adamu Yakubu filed the case before the Appeal Court, challenging the ruling of the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Dutse, Jigawa State, which declared the result of the 2023 election of Birnin Kudu/Buji Federal Constituency inconclusive.
The earlier petition filed before the Tribunal by Magaji Dau Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, challenged the victory of Adamu Yakubu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who was declared the winner by the Independent Electoral Commission, IINEC.
In its earlier judgement, the tribunal under the chairmanship of Justice A. Okeke said that INEC did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, and the manual for Election officials for the 2023 election in conducting the election and declaring the result of some polling units.
By the ruling of the Appeal Court, INEC is now mandated to organize a bye-election at the affected polling Units of Birnin Kudu/Buji federal constituency
