The Zamfara State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal has invalidated the election victory of Basiru Bello Auki, the representative of Bungudu West in the Zamfara State House of Assembly.
Bello Auki, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), secured his election triumph by defeating Basiru Lawal Bungudu from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a verdict issued by a three-judge panel on Thursday, the tribunal annulled Auki’s electoral victory due to his failure to adhere to the requirement of resigning from his civil servant position within thirty days before the election date. This condition is stipulated by Section 107 (1) (f) of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended) for candidates in such circumstances.
The tribunal confirmed that the petitioner substantiated their claim by presenting evidence of the last salary payment received by the disqualified legislator from the Bungudu Local Government Council, even after being elected.
The tribunal ruled that the petitioner effectively established their case beyond reasonable doubt, leading to their declaration as the rightful winner of the election.
In a separate development, the Court of Appeal in Owerri, Imo State, has unseated Julius Abure and reinstated Lamidi Apapa as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
In a judgment pronounced on the same day, the court officially recognized Apapa as the legitimate national chairman of the party.
Furthermore, the court invalidated the candidacies of gubernatorial candidates stemming from Abure’s faction of the party. This includes Senator Athan Achonu, who had been vying for participation in the forthcoming Imo state election.
The court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to acknowledge and publicize the names of the party’s governorship candidates arising from the Apapa-led faction in the states of Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo.