The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Minna yesterday upturned the result of last year’s Niger East Senatorial by-election in favour of Mr. David Umaru of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared former deputy governor of the state, Dr. Shem Zagbayi Nuhu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the election.
According to report from The Nation, Mr. Umaru filed a petition at the tribunal which proclaimed him winner with 79,779 votes as against Nuhu’s 68,525 votes.
In arriving at its judgement, the tribunal nullified the results of about 100 polling units affected by irregularities during the by-election.
The Chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Ibrahim Bako, also granted an order nullifying the return of the 1st Respondent (Nuhu) on the grounds that he did not win the majority of the lawful votes cast at the election held on August 30, 2014 and concluded on September 6, 2014 at the Niger East Senatorial District.
Also granted by the tribunal were orders “declaring the 1st Petitioner as the winner of the election held on the 30th August but concluded on the 6th September, 2014, having won the majority of the lawful votes at the election and he is hereby granted.”
Justice Bako directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to “issue a Certificate of Return to the 1st Petitioner forthwith as the duly elected Senator of Niger East Senatorial District, Niger State”.
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