Tribunal dismisses Shehu Sani’s petition for lack of merit


The National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Kaduna has dismissed the petition of Senator Shehu Sani challenging the victory of Senator Uba Sani in the Kaduna Central senatorial election, for lack of merit.

Senator Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated Senator Shehu Sani of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and the Peoples Democratic Party’s Lawal Usman to win the February 2019 election. 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared that Uba Sani polled 355, 242 votes to win, while Lawal Usman scored 195, 497 votes to place second, while the then incumbent senator, Shehu Sani, came third with 70, 613 votes. 

But Shehu Sani, who was not satisfied with the result, headed to court claiming that the poll was rigged, there were ballot snatching and result writing amidst other malpractices by Uba Sani and the APC. 

But reading a two-hour judgment, the tribunal chairman, Justice A. H. Suleiman, said based on the evidence before it by the petitioner and the defendant the petition lacks merit, and, thereafter dismissed it.

The tribunal upheld the election of Senator Uba Sani and described the tribunal sitting as successful adding that it based its decision on evidenced presented before it.

Counsels Senator Uba Sani, Barristers Frank Ikpe and Sulaiman Shu’aibu described the judgment as appropriate, urging those that are not satisfied with the judgment to go to the Court of Appeal.

In a reaction to the judgement, another Senator Uba Sani’s Lawyer, Barrister Abdulra’uf Atiku hailed the tribunal for fair judgment, and thanked all those that contributed to the success of the case.

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