Tribunal Sacks House of Reps Member, Orders Fresh Election

The National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal for Sokoto/Zamfara States has sacked a member of the House of Representatives representing Yabo/Shagari federal constituency of Sokoto State, Umar Yusuf Yabo Danmaje.

The Tribunal also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election in four affected polling units of the constituency within 90 days.

In a unanimous judgement read by the Tribunal chairman, Justice Ashu A. Ewah, the Court declared the election of Danmaje as null and void due to malpractices in some polling units, which made the exercise inconclusive.

The Tribunal also ordered INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Danmaje and pay a sum of N500,000 as damages to the petitioner as a cost of action instituted against his election at the Tribunal.

The affected polling units where INEC was asked to conduct a fresh election are three polling units in Shagari LGA and one polling unit in Yabo local government area of Sokoto State.