Appeal Court Nullifies Bauchi Speaker’s Election Over Irregularities

• The Court of Appeal in Abuja nullifies the election of Bauchi State House of Assembly Speaker Abubakar Suleiman
• The court orders a rerun in 10 polling units, citing irregularities and cautioning INEC to uphold electoral laws

In a significant legal development, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has nullified the election of Abubakar Suleiman as the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly. The three-member panel, in a verdict on Friday, declared that the election in Ningi Central Constituency, Ningi Local Government Area, was marred by irregularities.

The court has ordered a rerun in 10 polling units within the constituency to rectify the perceived irregularities.

Expressing concern over the matter, the lead justice on the panel cautioned the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct its affairs in strict adherence to the law to prevent potential crises. The judgment underscored the need for INEC to maintain impartiality, emphasizing that its conduct during the 2023 general elections was not perceived as that of an unbiased umpire.

This legal decision not only has immediate consequences for the leadership of the Bauchi State House of Assembly but also serves as a reminder of the critical role adherence to electoral laws plays in ensuring the integrity and legitimacy of democratic processes.

Appeal Court affirms Sani, Nwifuru as Kaduna, Ebonyi govs

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has declared Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State as validly elected governor during the March 18 election.

The appellate court affirmed the judgement of the State Election Petitons Tribunal, which earlier dismissed the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Isa Ashiru, against the election of Governor Sani.

The court held that the Tribunal was right in dismissing the petition of the PDP and Ashiru because the petitioners abandoned their petition for their failure to apply for issuance of pre-hearing information sheet after close of pleadings as required by paragraph 18(1) of the first scheduled to the Electoral Act, 2022.

The court, however, held that the Tribunal acted in error when it depended on inadmissible evidence to order the conduct of supplementary polls in 22 polling units of four local government areas (LGAs) of the State where the exercise was deemed inconclusive.