A Federal High Court in Birnin Kebbi has nullified the election of Senator Adamu Aliero as the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for Kebbi Central Senatorial District in the forthcoming general elections.
The court also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to substitute Aliero’s name with Haruna Saidu.
According to a statement on Tuesday, Justice Babagana Ashigar, who delivered the judgment, noted that Aliero was not validly elected in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
It read, “The court nullified the election following the primary election conducted in the state by the PDP in May which was marred by irregularities and the PDP did not give a fair hearing to Haruna Saidu following a petition on allegation of forged signatures.
“The court held that he was not served with a copy of the petition brought against him. INEC unlawfully excluded the plaintiff’s name (Saidu) from the primary participated by Aliero when he had won the first primary. The primary that produced Aliero was a nullity.”
The judgment followed an application by Saidu against Aliero, the PDP and INEC
In another judgment by the same judge, the court invalidated the election of a former Senate leader, Dr Yahaya Abdullahi, as the PDP’s candidate for Kebbi North Senatorial District in the general elections.
The court declared the plaintiff, Sani Argungu, as the rightful candidate of the PDP for the senatorial race in the district.
Argungu had sued the ex-Senate leader, the PDP and INEC, asking the court for the ticket.
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