The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Monday, sacked the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon. Yusuf Dahiru Liman.
The Court also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to him and conduct fresh elections in five polling units in his constituency.
The Court’s decision was in favour of the petition filed by Hon. Solomon Katuka of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who challenged the election of Hon. Liman as the representative of Makera Constituency in the Kaduna State House of Assembly.
Hon. Katuka alleged that there were gross irregularities in the election and claimed that he was the rightful winner.
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The petition was initially heard by the tribunal, which nullified the election of Hon. Liman in September and ordered a rerun in 42 polling units in five wards.
However, Hon. Liman, the APC and INEC appealed against the tribunal’s judgment, while Hon. Katuka filed a cross-appeal seeking an outright declaration.
The three-member panel of the Appeal Court, led by Justice I. O Adejumo, Justice A. O Oyetula, and Justice P. A Obiora, unanimously quashed the tribunal’s decision and granted the prayers of Hon. Katuka. The Court held that the rerun should be conducted in only five polling units where the election was cancelled due to over-voting.
The Court also directed INEC to issue a fresh certificate of return to Hon. Katuka if he emerges victorious in the rerun.
The date for the rerun has not been announced yet as at press time.