Just In: Tribunal dismisses PDP’s petition against APC

The Taraba State National and State House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja has dismissed the petition by Hassan Bappa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the victory recorded by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Jalingo/ Yorro /Zing Federal Constituency.

Aminu Malle contested the election held on February 23, 2019 as the APC’s candidate and was declared winner.

But, before he could assume office, the Supreme Court voided his candidacy in a judgment given on June 13, 2019 and ordered that he be replaced by Kasimu Bello Maigari, who was later issued with the certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In its judgment on Saturday, the tribunal held that Bappa and the PDP failed to prove their claims that the election was marred by irregularities and held in substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

The tribunal also held that it was a fatal error on the part of the petitioners not to have included Maigari as a party in the case after the name of Malle was deleted, as the first respondent in the petition, after the Supreme Court judgment.