The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a re-run chairmanship election in six wards of Kuje Area Council.
BASIC FACTS
- The FCT election tribunal on Wednesday, nullified the election of Kuje area council won by the PDP last February.
- The Court has asked the INEC to conduct a re-run within 90 days.
WHAT WE KNOW
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a re-run chairmanship election in six wards of Kuje Area Council.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Chief Magistrate Muinat Oyekan, who led a three-member panel, nullified the elections held in nine polling units where elections were marred by irregularities.
The judge ordered that the rerun should be conducted across the affected polling units won by the incumbent Kuje Area Council Chairman, Abdullahi Sabo of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The All Progresses Congress (APC) candidate, Hamidu Sarki, filed the petition challenging Sabo’s victory.
The affected polling units are: Central Primary School, Gudunkarya ward, Chief’s Palace, Yenche ward, Tusha Gwargwada, Gwargwada ward, Kiyi, Chibiri ward and Rubochi Primary School ward.
Others include Dibe polling unit, Gidan Bawa polling unit, Kapwa polling unit and Central Primary School unit in Gbaupe ward.
Reacting to the judgement, Kuje PDP chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Ismaila, said the party was not deterred by the judgment. According to him, PDP will always win even if the elections are conducted 100 times in FCT.
Ismaila, however, said that the party would not appeal the judgment.
He urged the party supporters to remain calm, stressing that PDP would still win the court-ordered elections across the affected polling units.
NOTABLE QUOTES
Delivering the judgement, the Chief Magistrate, Muinat Oyekan held, “From the foregoing, it is clear that the petitioners (APC) have established their claims, and judgement is hereby entered in their favor.
“This tribunal therefore, nullifies the elections conducted across the affected polling units while INEC is hereby directed to conduct a supplementary election within 90 days,”
COMMENTARY
This is not the first time election outcome will be decided by the court. Recall that INEC had declared the PDP winner of the Kuje council election conducted last February 12.
At the end of the February election, the two major parties won three councils each. While APC won in Gwagwalada, Kwali and Abaji, PDP won in AMAC, Bwari and Kuje.
However, characteristics of Nigerian politicians and elections, the APC challenged the result of the Kuje area council, which judgement has now been delivered.
This re-run election would as well be a litmus test for the two major parties and their chances in the FCT as they prepare for the big one next February.
