The National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunals in Sokoto State, on Friday, dismissed three petitions against the elections of Senator Aliyu Wamakko (APC-Sokoto North), Reps. Abdussamad Dasuki and Bala Hassan.

Mr Wamakko is representing Sokoto North Senatorial District on the platform of APC, while Mr Dasuki of PDP is representing Tambuwal/Kebbe Federal Constituency.

Mr Hassan is also representing Sokoto North/Sokoto South Federal Constituency on the platform of APC.

In a unanimous judgement, the tribunal chairperson, Justice Josephine Oyefeso, on behalf of Justices Haruna Muhammad and Eke Eze, rejected the petitions for lack of merits.

Ms Oyefeso said the petitioners could not prove the allegations in the petitions beyond reasonable doubt as required by law.

She said the burden of proving a petition solely relied on the petitioners, adding that the witnesses and exhibits presented were not tangible enough to contradict the electoral body’s decisions.

The former deputy governor of the state, Manniru Dan’iya, the PDP candidate during the February 25 election, had challenged the return of Mr Wamakko.

He also prayed the tribunal declared him the legitimate winner and duly elected senator.

Mr Dan-iya argued that Mr Wamakko was unqualified to contest the election as he did not attach copies of credentials while completing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) forms, and the election flouted electoral guidelines.

Bala Kokani of APC also challenged the election of Mr Dasuki on the grounds that he did not score the majority of lawful votes cast during the election.

Mr Kokani prayed the tribunal to declare him the winner as the candidate that scored the majority of lawful votes or order the conduct of supplementary elections as the election was marred by violence and other irregularities.

Abubakar Abdullahi, the candidate of PDP, challenged the election of Mr Hassan on the grounds that irregularities marred the polls and his opponent was not qualified to contest the election. 

(NAN)