The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in the Minna High Court Complex on Thursday dismissed the petition filed by Mohammed Nazeer of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) against the election of Shehu Saleh of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Justice Angela Otaluka of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal dismissed the petition, describing it as lacking substance and merit.
Mohammed Nazeer of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) approached the Tribunal challenging the election of Shehu Saleh, who was declared the winner of the February 25 National Assembly Election. He claimed that the election was manipulated in favour of the respondent and he should be declared the rightful winner of the election.
He alleged that the election was also marred with irregularities and non-compliance with the electoral act, arguing further that the respondent did not score the rightful vote cast at the polls.
Nazeer, in his petition, prayed the Tribunal to upturn the election of Shehu Saleh and return him as the rightful winner as he scored the majority and rightful votes cast at various polling units across the Magana/Rijau Federal Constituency.
Justice Angela Otaluka, while reviewing the petition during the judgement, asserted that all the issues raised and the evidence tendered before the Tribunal are immaterial, inconsequential, and lack merit.
She averred that the petitioner failed woefully to prove the allegations of overvoting and manipulation of voting as well as non-compliance with the electoral act, among others, claimed in his petition, and the petition was accordingly dismissed as lacking merit.
Justice Otaluka, while dismissing the petition, awarded a cost of N300,000 to be paid to the respondent.
Also, a petition filed by Saidu Isah of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) of Agaie Federal Constituency challenging the election of Mahmud Abdullahi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), suffered another setback as the petition was dismissed by the Justice Angela Otaluka-led Tribunal.
Saidu Isah had approached the Tribunal to declare him the rightful winner of the February 25 National Assembly Election to represent Agaie/ Lapai Federal Constituency, claiming that he scored the majority of votes cast at most of the polling units in Agaie and Lapai.
According to the petitioner, the election was marred by unprecedented crises and irregularities at most of the polling units across the two federal constituencies of Agaie and Lapai, claiming that his polling and ward agents were chased away from the polling units.
Saidu Isah prayed the Tribunal to return and declare him the winner of the February 25 National Assembly Election unconditionally and upturn the election of the respondent as he did not win the majority of votes cast at the February 25 National Assembly Election to represent Agaie/ Lapai Federal Constituency.
In her four-hour judgement, Justice Angela Otaluka stated that the petitioner failed in totality to substantiate his claims as contained in his petition, and he also failed to prove the allegations of non-compliance, and she dismissed the petition with a cost of N300,000 to the respondent accordingly.