A few days after the sacking of the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Y. Suleiman, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Monday also sacked the Deputy Speaker, Jamilu Umar Dahiru of the PDP.
The Court of Appeal, in its summary judgment, set aside the judgment of the State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal that affirmed his election and ordered a rerun in a number of polling units in the Bauchi Central State Constituency.
The APC candidate in the election had filed a petition at the Tribunal challenging the declaration of Jamilu Umar Dahiru as the winner of the election, claiming that there was overvoting in 9 polling units. The Tribunal, however, dismissed the petition.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, he went on appeal to further his case, which the Appeal Court decided in his favour, ordering a rerun in a number of polling units.
In the same vein, the Appeal Court in Abuja has sacked the member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly member representing Zungur/Galambi/Miri Constituency Yusuf Sa’idu Ahmed.
The Appeal Court ordered a rerun in several polling units in the Constituency to have a clear seat winner.
In his reaction, counsel to the APC, UB Darazo, said that the judgment was just and fair, stating that there was indeed overvoting in some selected polling units.
According to him, in its judgment, the Appeal Court has ordered INEC to conduct rerun elections in the affected polling units.
UB Darazo said that the APC is thrilled with the judgment, as it indicates that the 2023 elections in Bauchi state were indeed faulty.
Also, in reaction, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Bauchi state, Adamu Jalla Gamawa, welcomed the development, saying that it is an affirmation of their claim that the outcome of the 2023 General elections as declared by INEC was not a true reflection of the actual situation.
All efforts to get the reaction of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) proved abortive as the Chairman, Hamza Koshe Akuyam, and the Publicity Secretary, Yayanuwa Zainabari, did not respond to calls put through to their mobile telephone numbers.
He said that the outcome of the Appeal Court is a good sign that the APC will get back the seats rigged out from it and the hope of a positive outcome at the Supreme Court over the gubernatorial election.
With the development, the Bauchi State House of Assembly has no complete leadership as both the Speaker’s and Deputy Speaker’s offices are now vacant.
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