The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has issued an order for the removal of the Deputy Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Jamilu Barade, and has mandated a rerun in specific polling units.
News About Nigeria reports that this development comes on the heels of the recent ousting of the Speaker of the Bauchi State Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman, who also represented the Ningi Central Constituency.
The three-man panel of the appellate court, in a judgment delivered late Monday, overturned the decision of the Bauchi State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, which had previously upheld Barade’s election as the duly elected member representing Bauchi Central State constituency under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The tribunal had dismissed the petition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, who alleged overvoting in nine polling units.
Dissatisfied with the tribunal’s ruling, the APC candidate pursued an appeal, resulting in the appellate court’s decision to order a rerun in the contested polling units.
The Court of Appeal also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to retrieve the Certificate of Return earlier issued to the Deputy Speaker and conduct rerun elections in the affected polling units before determining the eventual winner.
Elections in certain polling units within the constituency have been mandated, where the appellant, Aliyu Ilela of the APC, claimed over-voting.
Simultaneously, the Appeal Court nullified the representation of Yusuf Ahmed, a member representing Zungur/Galambi/Miri Constituency, also of the PDP, and called for a rerun in specific polling units.
While the Independent National Electoral Commission in Bauchi has yet to receive the court order, the commission, through Aliyu Shaba, the Officer in charge of Voter Education, expressed readiness for the rerun within the stipulated time of 90 days.
U.B. Darazo, counsel for the APC, praised the judgment as just and fair, citing instances of over-voting in selected polling units.
He emphasised that the ruling highlighted flaws in the 2023 elections in the state.
