Tribunal removes CPC Senator

The Election Petitions Tribunal in Kaduna on Monday nullified the victory of Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed of the Congress for Progressive Change as the lawmaker representing the Kaduna North in the National Assembly.The tribunal also declared the former state governor, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi, who represented the zone in the Senate before the last April 28 National Assembly poll the winner of the election.The Chairman of the three-man tribunal, Mr. Daniel Kalio, also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the Certificate of Return already given to the sacked CPC senator and issue the same to Makarfi.Makarfi had challenged the declaration of Baba-Ahmed as winner of the senatorial election conducted on April 28 by INEC.He had alleged that Baba-Ahmed did not score the majority of the valid votes cast during the election.Kalio stated that since it had been held that unsigned documents had no evidential value, the tribunal was therefore duty bound to deduct from the votes of any candidate unsigned and unstamped ballot papers.The tribunal chairman further stated that after deducting the number of such votes from the total votes recorded for the two candidates at the poll, Makarfi emerged the winner with 364, 801 against Datti Baba-Ahmeds 356, 579 votes.Makarfi scored the majority votes. Accordingly, the victory of the first respondent is set aside; the certificate of return should be withdrawn and be given to Makarfi as the duly elected Senator of Kaduna North Senatorial Zone, he said.
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