Election Tribunal dismisses case against Kwankwaso

The state and National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal

sitting in Kano has dismissed the petition filed by Alhaji

Bashir Garba Lado, challenging the victory of the immediate

past governor of the state, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in

the race for Kano Central senatorial district.

Dismissing the petition in Kano yesterday, the presiding

judge, Justice Cornelius Akintayo, said the petitioner failed

to establish a prima facie evidence against the respondent

hence the decision to dismiss the case for lack of merit.

The judge held that the respondent was eminently qualified

to contest for the seat of the Kano Central senatorial district.

He added that petitioner’s petition challenging the

substitution of the name of Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, the

man who had initially purchased the nomination form, with

that of Kwankwaso was untenable and lacked merit.

Akintayo however, stated that the tribunal had found no

incontrovertible evidence to declare the election null and

void, saying it considered the outcome of the Kano Central

senatorial district election credible in the absence of any

admissible evidence to prove otherwise.

Counsel to the petitioner and the respondents had

unanimously concurred that the verdict of the tribunal was

sound and credible and said his client would be fully

consulted on the next line of action.

The tribunal’s verdict was however greeted by considerable

euphoria and jubilation by Kwankwaso’s die-hard

supporters who had seen the futility in challenging the

outcome of the election they considered as free, fair and

credible.

According to an APC chieftain in the state who craved for

anonymity, the petitioner had only wasted his energy and

resources in chasing a wild goose which could not deliver

the golden eggs that were expected.

He said the petitioner was only myopic in his political

calculation given the landslide victory recorded by the

immediate past governor, stressing that the petitioner was a

victim of the new revolution in Nigeria’s po

litics.

But in the words of one of the staunch supporters of the

petitioner, Malam Garba Maidoya, the petitioner had proven

his mettle as a politician worth his onion considering the

courage he had summoned in taking his case to the

tribunal, challenging the outcome of the election.

While describing the petitioner as a gallant fighter, Maidoya

also called on him to remain dogged in the pursuit of his

political interest in future, affirming that his chances are still

bright in the present political dispensation.