Shadalafiya Hopeful As Tribunal Orders Re-run In 22 Polling Units Of Kaduna LG
A former deputy speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly and candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the 2019 election, Shehu Goro Shadalafiya has expressed hope after the tribunal judgement at the weekend.
The Tribunal sitting in Kaduna, had ordered for a re-run in 22 polling units of Kagarko State Assembly Constituency over perceived irregularities in the National and State House of Assembly Election.
The order followed the tribunal’s verdict sacking Morondia Tanko, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 9 election for Kagarko State Constituency who was declared the winner of the poll.
Nuhu Shadalafiya, a former deputy speaker of the State Assembly and candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), had challenged the victory of Mr Tanko and PDP for Kagarko State Constituency at the Tribunal.
The tribunal, headed by Adamu Suleiman, in a unanimous decision ordered for a re-run in the 22 affected polling units across two wards in the area.
A member of the tribunal, Maimuna Abubakar, who read the judgment, said the petitioner had proved his case beyond a reasonable doubt.
According to her, the petitioner had petitioned the tribunal alleging that the election was characterised by malpractices such as over-voting, manipulations and violence.
She said the petitioner had provided proof that all the alleged electoral malpractices were committed in the affected polling units,Part of the judgment reads: “that election be re-run in two wards, polling unit 001 to polling unit 018 because the margin between the first respondent and the petitioner is 2,318 votes as the petitioner got 24,008 votes and the first respondent got 26,302 votes.“However, the result of the over voting filed in the petition was 9,702 votes for the first respondent and 2,128 for the first petitioner thus showing over voting in the election.
“Hence the need for a re-run in the 22 polling units of Kagarko local government of Kaduna State was delivered as the judgement by the tribunal.”Speaking with journalists shortly after the judgement, Mr Shadalafiya said the tribunal shunned technicalities and allowed justice to prevail.
“Because the truth of the matter was that, there was over-voting and we proved that beyond reasonable doubt because it was well spelt out.
“The margin of the over-voting was about eleven thousand and I benefited with two thousand votes while he benefited with nine thousand.“And today his 9,000 votes were removed, my 2,000 votes also removed. I was left with over 21,000 while he was left with 16,000 votes.“
He thanked the judiciary for doing the needful in the matter saying: “I give glory to our party and our leader Malam Nasiru El-Rufai who encouraged me to come to tribunal.”
Mr Shadalafiya thanked the people of Kagarko and all his supporters including clergymen who prayed for his success.He urged them to massively give him their votes during the re-run.
With Daily Newstimes and NAN