Tribunal Upholds APC’s Victory In NASS Supplementary Election

The National Assembly Election petition tribunal sitting in Katsina, on Thursday, upheld the victory of Mansur Mashi of the All Progressives Congress at last February supplementary election in the Mashi/Dutsi Federal constituency of Federal House of Representatives.

Justice Raheem Shiyanbola, who was the chairman of a three-member tribunal, upheld Mashi’s victory in his ruling after dismissing the petition by the Peoples Democratic Party candidate at the election, Nazifi Yusuf.

Yusuf had petitioned the tribunal, alleging awarding of imaginary figures to Mashi during the supplementary election.

The tribunal chairman however noted that Yusuf had not proved his case. He said, “The petition lacks merit and it has not been proved. The petition is, accordingly, dismissed.’’

Justice Shiyanbola, while reviewing Yusuf’s petition, observed that while it was true that there were cases of omission and wrong computation by the returning officer, the cases did not form substantial reasons to annul the result of the supplementary election.

He added that even if the tribunal went ahead to deduct the contentious 615 votes from the total votes scored by Mashi, he would still have won the election with a total 30,103 votes.

On Yusuf’s request that his 20,069 total votes be recognised by the tribunal, Justice Shiyanbola maintained that if the tribunal should grant the request, it would mean that such gestures should be extended to the three leading contestants in the election.

Lead counsel for Mashi, Ernest Obunadike and that for Yusuf, Uyi Ugunma, lauded the tribunal chairman for what they referred to as his “industry.”

Other members of the tribunal were Justice Tijani Yakasai and Justice Halima Saleeman