The Kaduna State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Kaduna, has nullified the election that initially declared Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Governor of Kaduna State. The tribunal, chaired by Justice Victor Ozeigbe Aghabue Oviawe, has ordered a re-run election, citing allegations of massive irregularities and manipulation of results.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Uba Sani the winner in March, with 730,002 votes, defeating his closest rival, PDP’s Isa Ashiru, who secured 719,196 votes in the March 18 Governorship poll. Dissatisfied with the outcome, Ashiru and the PDP, represented by Oluwole Iyamu SAN, approached the tribunal, challenging the declaration of Uba Sani as the winner. INEC, Sani, and APC were named as the 1st to 3rd Respondents, respectively.
The petitioners raised critical points:
1. Alleged massive irregularities and manipulation of results in favor of Uba Sani.
2. Contention that Uba Sani did not score the highest number of valid votes cast and should not have been declared the winner by INEC.
The tribunal, delivering its ruling via Zoom, first addressed the Preliminary Objections raised by the Respondents. All four objections were dismissed by the three-man panel, led by Justice Oviawe. The tribunal emphasized that it lacked the power to nullify an election already counted and recorded by INEC, asserting that only INEC holds the authority to take such action.
In a significant decision, the tribunal nullified the election that brought in Uba Sani and declared it inconclusive. A re-run election is now scheduled to take place in 7 wards across 4 Local Government Areas in the state, amplifying the gravity of the allegations and underscoring the tribunal’s commitment to ensuring a fair and untainted electoral process in Kaduna State.