ELECTION PETITION TRIBUNAL TRASHES SUIT AGAINST ALHASSAN, JAPHETH

The Election Petition Tribunal holden at Yola, the Adamawa State capital has today, struck out  petitions against Members representing Ganye and Gombi constituencies at the State House of Assembly, Hon. Alhassan Hammanjoda and Hon.Japheth Kefas respectively.

The petitions were earlier filed at the court by the candidates of the People Democratic Party(PDP) and that of African Democratic Congress(ADC)Jibrin Usman Yelwa(Ganye) and Hon. Rufai Umar (Gombi).

The petitioners had approached the court over irregularities alleged to have marred the the election of the incumbent members held in March this year.

According to them, the elections were heavily characterised by irregularities ranging from alteration of result sheets, over voting, vote buying, lack of accreditation of the voters and none usage of card reader among other allegations.

The duo prayed the Tribunal to declare the election of Alhassan and that of Kefas as null and void and subsequently declare them(petitioners) as winners of the polls, appealing to the court to order Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to issue them (petitioners) with certificate of returned.

But the court in its judgement delivered by Justice Suleiman Akanbi, assisted by 2 other justices, struck out the petitions for lack of merits, and held that the petitioners could not prove their allegations of violation of electoral act beyond reasonable doubt.

Justice Akanbi, said that the petitioners failed to back their suits with credible evidence that will convince the court, and therefore dismissed the petitions for lack convincing evidence.

But in his reaction shortly after the verdict, the member representing Gombi constituency at the House of Assembly, Hon Japheth Kefas, said that the judgement was a victory for democracy.

Hon. Kefas recalled that he was about to be declared the winner of the election shortly after the election, but his opponent stood his ground that he should not be declared the winner because according to him the election was inconclusive.

He told newsmen that they went for a supplementary election where he scored 188 votes and his opponent garnered 27 votes, saying he did not stop there but decided to challenge his victory at the court.

Hon. Kefas who is the Chairman House Standing Committee on Information of the House, said that today, God has vindicated him, and urged Hon Rufai to team up as indigenes of Gombi Local Government Area and develop their area and Adamawa state in general.

He said he is excited because the votes his electorates had given him, the court has today declared it valid, and called on them to live in peace with everybody irrespective of political or religious differences.