Court nullifies primary election of Jigawa APC Assembly candidate over forgery

A Federal High Court sitting in Dutse, Jigawa State, has nullified the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Kazaure constituency in the state House of Assembly which produced Muhammad Idris as the winner, over forgery.

While delivering the ruling on Thursday, the trial judge, Hassan Dikko, said the court was convinced that Idris was not validly elected as the party’s candidate, and ordered that he should vacate the seat for his main challenger, Bala Hamza.

Dikko said the court was convinced that Idris had forged the certificate he submitted for the primary election which was held on May 26 where Idris got 29 votes while Hamza polled 24 votes.

Not satisfied with the outcome of the election, Hamza challenged the result in court, arguing that five party delegates from his constituency were “intimidated and disenfranchised” during the primary election.

READ ALSO:APC Jigawa zonal chairman slumps, dies

He also claimed that Idris had presented a forged educational certificate to the INEC.

In his ruling, Dikko declared that “Idris was not duly elected with majority votes cast at the primary election of the APC into the Jigawa State House of Assembly representing the Kazaure constituency conducted on 26 May.

“That the plaintiff, Hamza, is the lawful and bona-fide candidate of the APC for election into the Jigawa House of Assembly representing the Kazaure constituency.”

The judge also mandated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to immediately substitute the name of Idris with that of Hamza as the winner of the election for Kazaure Constituency of Jigawa State.

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