The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, has sacked Jibrin Isah of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the lawmaker representing Kogi East.
It ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a supplementary election between him and Victor Adoji of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Tribunal in its Tuesday ruling ordered the rerun in 94 polling units with over 59,730 votes.
The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K.A. Orjiako, who delivered the judgement on the petition brought before it by Adoji, agreed with the prayers of the PDP candidate via his Counsel, Johnson Usman (SAN), challenging Isah’s return on the ground that elections were cancelled in some polling units where the Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) collected were more than the margin of his (Chocho’s) win.
The petitioner had pleaded with the Tribunal to void the election of Isah and order a supplementary poll in the affected polling units.
Delivering a unanimous Judgement of the Tribunal, Justice Orjiako, agreed with the submission of Usman (SAN) as he annulled Isah’s victory and ordered the withdrawal of his certificate of return.
“Since the PVCs collected in the 94 polling units is 59,730, while the margin of win is 26,922 votes, the Returning Officer ought to have declared the election inconclusive without making a return.
“Consequently, this honourable Tribunal hereby grants the reliefs sought by the Petitioners. We also set aside the Certificate of Return issued to Jibrin Isah.
“The Tribunal hereby also orders INEC to conduct a supplementary election in the affected polling units where the election did not hold or cancelled in order to determine the winner, ” Justice Orjiako declared.
Isah had garnered 108,784 votes the highest against Adoji who scored 81,867 in the March 2023 senatorial election.
