Tribunal declares Kwara female lawmaker election inconclusive, orders rerun

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Saturday, declared the election of Miss Rukayat Shittu of the All Progressives Congress inconclusive and ordered a rerun in some polling units.

The 26-year-old female legislator is representing Owode-Onire constituency of Asa Local Government in the state House of Assembly.

Rukayat was declared the winner of the March 18 House of Assembly election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Abdullahi Yinusa Magaji, had filed a petition challenging her victory at the tribunal.

Justice Ademola Enikuomehin, a member of the three-man tribunal who delivered the lead judgment, ordered a rerun in five polling units of the constituency.

“The petitioners failed in 12 among the contested polling units while five have been proved. The results so far released are hereby cancelled and the election inconclusive.

“In sum, the petition succeeded in parts and in consequence, I hereby order a rerun of the election in the above polling units to be conducted within 90 days,” the judge submitted.

Shittu after the victory in the March election made headlines as arguably the youngest lawmaker in the country.