September 05, (THEWILL) – The Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, has sacked the Senator representing Kogi East Senatorial district, Jibrin Isah (APC).
The tribunal also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct a supplementary election in 94 polling units, where election results were cancelled in the February 25 National Assembly Election.
Victor Adoji, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 25 February election, had through his counsel, Johnson Usman (SAN), challenged the return of Isah on the grounds that elections were cancelled in some polling units where the PVCs collected were more than the margin of his win.
Adoji had pleaded with the tribunal to annul the election of Mr Isah and order a supplementary election in the affected 94 polling units in the senatorial district.
In a unanimous judgement delivered on Tuesday, Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice K.A. Orjiako, declared: “Since the PVCs collected in the 94 polling units are 59,730 and the margin of victory is 26,922 votes, the Returning Officer ought to have declared the election inconclusive without making a return.
“Consequently, this honourable Tribunal hereby grants the reliefs sought by the petitioners. We also set aside the Certificate of Return issued to Jibrin Isah.
“The tribunal hereby also orders INEC to conduct a supplementary election in the affected polling units where the election did not hold or was cancelled in order to determine the winner.”
