The Plateau South Senatorial Election Tribunal, has dismissed the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and its candidate Hon. George Daika, for lacking in merit.
The tribunal also upheld the election and returned of Senator Nora Ladi Da’adut, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as validly elected and returned as senator representing Plateau South Senatorial district.
The petitioners alleged that Senatorial Nora Ladi Da’adut, was not qualified to have contested in the 5th December, 2020 bye-election, that she was not validly nominated and sponsored by the APC, alleging further that she presented false first school leaving certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and that she was not validly elected with lawful number of votes.
The tribunal in its unanimous judgement, Monday, delivered by its chairman Justice, D. Khobo, said the tribunal holds that the petition was lacking in merits.
It further held that PDP and Dai’ka, failed to reproduce accurate scores of each candidate in their petition clearly contravened section 4 (1c) of the electoral act, and had rendered the petition invalid.
According to the tribunal, failure of the PDP candidate Hon. Dai’ka, to sign the petition was further contravention of section 4 (3), of the electoral act, which also rendered the petition invalid.
On the issue of alleged non nomination and sponsorship of Nora Da’adut, by APC as its candidate in the bye-election into the seat of Plateau South senatorial zone, the tribunal held that the petitioners have failed to prove their allegations.
It said the petitioners have also presented only 15 out its supposed 166 witnesses, that ought to have proved their allegations of irregularities in the polling units.
On the issue of lawful votes, the results declared by INEC, where APC and its candidate, Nora Da’adut, scored 83,151 against PDP and George Daika’s 70, 830 votes were correct.
“The tribunal holds that the petition lacks merit and is hereby dismissed,” the tribunal declared.
