The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has validated the ruling of the lower tribunal which declared the 2023 election in Birninkudu/Buji federal constituency of Jigawa State inconclusive.
Delivering the judgement, the chairman of the Appeal Court, Justice Ogochuku Anthony Ogakwu, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct by-election in eight polling units within 30 days.
The court gave the verdict on the appeal filed before the court by Hon Adamu Yakubu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, who was declared winner of the election by INEC.
Yakubu challenged the ruling of election tribunal sitting in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital that declared the result of the 2023 poll of Birnin Kudu/Buji federal constituency as inconclusive.
The earlier petition was filed before the tribunal by Hon Magaji Dau Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the victory of Yakubu who was declared winner by INEC.
In its earlier judgement, the tribunal under the chairmanship of Justice A. A. Okeke said INEC did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, the commission’s regulations and guidelines, and the manual for election officials for the 2023 election in conducting the poll and declaring the results in some polling units.
By the ruling of the Appeal Court, INEC will hold a by-election in the affected polling units in the constituency.
The eight polling units have 6,351 voters and Da’u trailed behind the PDP candidate with 1,926 votes.
