The Plateau State National and State House of Assemblies, Elections Petition Tribunal (EPT) Friday in Jos sacked Musa Avia Agah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the House of Representatives for Bassa/Jos-North Federal Constituency.
The tribunal also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to return Muhammad Adam Alkali of the Peoples’ Redemption Party (PRP) as the authentic winner of the February 26, 2022 bye-election.
The tribunal in a unanimous judgement led by its chairman, Justice Hope O. Ozoh, and Khadi Usman Umar, and Justice Zainab M. Bashir, held that the petitioners had proven their case beyond reasonable doubts.
Justice Bashir, while delivering the judgement, said, “The PDP had a faulty foundation, as the subsisting judgement of the court of appeal upheld. The tribunal holds that the candidate was not validly nominated.”
It further upheld that there was over-voting in the results declared by INEC to announce the winner of the February 26, 2022 bye-election.
“The petitioners have proved that there was over-voting at 27 polling units in Tudun Wada/Kabing…they have equally proven over-voting in some polling units in Bassa LGA.
“Therefore, the 1st and 2nd respondents scored 26,338 lawful votes, while the 1stand 2nd petitioners scored 37,441 lawful votes, and returned as valid winners,” it held.
The tribunal awarded N3 million cost against the 1st and 2nd respondents being Hon. Musa Agah Avia and the PDP.
