Kaduna Tribunal Cancels Election In Two Wards, Orders Re- Run In 22 Polling Units Of Kagarko Constituency

The National and State House of Assembly Tribunal sitting in Kaduna State, on Saturday ordered for a re run in two wards, 22 polling units of Kagarko Constituency.Mr. Nuhu Shadalafiya of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had challenged the victory of Hon. Morondia Tanko of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 9th March election for Kagarko Constituency.In the judgement which lasted for about thirty minutes, the three man panel of the tribunal chaired by Justice Adamu Suleiman in a unanimous decision, ordered for a re run in the affected wards.The judgement read by Justice Habiba Abubakar said the respondent failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubts that he did not commit the malpractices petitioned against him.According to her, the petitioner, Hon. Nuhu Shadalafiya has among other things said the election held in Kagarko Local Government on the 9th March 2019 was full of malpractices such as over voting, manipulations and multiple electoral malpractices.In her lead judgement, Justice Habiba said the petitioner has proved that all the electoral malpractices were committed.The judgement as delivered by Justice Habiba stated thus” that election be re- run in two wards, polling unit 001 to polling unit 018 because the margin between the first respondent and the petitioner is 2,318 votes as the petitioner got 24,008 votes and the first respondent got 36,302 votes,However the result of the over voting filed in the petition was 9,702 votes for the first respondent and 2,128 for the first petitioner thus showing over voting in the election.Hence the need for a re run in the 22 polling units of Kagarko Local government of Kaduna State was delivered as the judgement by the tribunal.Speaking with journalists shortly after the judgement, Mr Nuhu Shadalafiya the petitioner, said technicality has been dropped to the door step and justice was made to prevail because the truth of the matter there was over voting and we prove that beyond reasonable doubt because it was well spelt out.“The margin of the over voting was about eleven thousand and I benefited with two thousand votes while he benefited with nine thousand.“And today his nine thousand votes are removed, my two thousand are also removed, I am left with over twenty one thousand while he is left with sixteen thousand and by this re- run will be going at that level.”He thanked the judiciary for doing the needful in the matter saying “I give glory to our party and our leader Malam Nasir el-Rufai who encouraged me to come to tribunal”.He further thanked the people of Kagarko and some clergymen who stood with him with prayers.He urged them to reflect back in his absence for this few months and change it in the re-run.