Tribunal Sacks Kogi Senator, Orders Supplementary Election

The Kogi East Senatorial Election Tribunal on Tuesday sacked Senator Jibrin Isah, the Senate Committee Chairman on Customs Excise and Tariffs, on the ground that elections were cancelled in some 94 polling units.

The Tribunal also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a supplementary election in the affected 94 polling units.

The tribunal Chairman, Justice K.A. Orjiako, who delivered the judgment on the petition brought before it by Dr Victor Adoji, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), agreed with the prayers of Adoji.

Adoji, through his Counsel, Mr Johnson Usman (SAN), challenged the return of Jibrin Isah on the grounds that elections were cancelled in some polling units where the PVCs collected were more than the margin of his (Chocho’s) win.

The petitioner had pleaded with the tribunal to annul the election of Isah and order a supplementary election in the affected 94 polling units in the senatorial district.

Delivering a unanimous judgement of the Tribunal, Justice K.A. Orjiako agreed with the submission of Usman and annulled Isah’s victory and ordered the withdrawal of his certificate of return.

“Since the PVCs collected in the 94 polling units is 59,730 while the margin of win is 26,922 votes, the Returning Officer ought to have declared the election inconclusive without making a return.

“Consequently, this honourable Tribunal hereby grants the reliefs sought by the petitioners. We also set aside the Certificate of Return issued to Jibrin Isah.

“The tribunal hereby also orders INEC to conduct a supplementary election in the affected polling units where the election was not held or cancelled in order to determine the winner, ” Justice Orjiako declared.