A’Court Sacks House Majority Leader, Doguwa, Orders Fresh Poll...

The Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna, yesterday nullified the election of the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa.

Doguwa, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), represents Tudunwada/ Doguwa Federal Constituency of Kano State in the House of Representatives.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the 2019 election, Yusha’u Salisu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who contested the election with Doguwa, had challenged his victory at the election petition tribunal in Kano, alleging irregularities and over voting during the February 23, 2019 election.

However, the tribunal dismissed his petition on the grounds that he failed to prove the allegations.

Not satisfied with the decision of the tribunal, Salisu approached the Appeal Court.

The court, in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie, set aside the judgment of the tribunal and nullified the entire election in the two local government areas in the constituency.

The appellate court held that the entire election could not stand as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had omitted other parties from the final declaration of the result.

The court further held that INEC made a substantial breach by writing the results of only two parties out of 53 parties that participated in the election in Form EC 8 (II) E.

The court ordered INEC to conduct fresh election in the constituency within 90 days.