A Federal High Court in Birnin Kebbi, North West Nigeria has invalidated the election of Senator Adamu Aliero as the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate for Kebbi Central senatorial district in the forthcoming general election.
The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to replace Aliero’s name with Haruna Saidu as the substantive PDP candidate for the senatorial district poll in 2023 elections.
The same court yesterday annulled the election of a former Senate leader, Dr Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi as the PDP’s candidate for Kebbi North senatorial district in the general election.
The court declared the complainant, Hon Sani Bawa Argungu, as the rightful candidate of PDP for the senatorial race in the district. Argungu who sued Abdullahi, the PDP and INEC, asked the court to award him the ticket.
In the Aliero case, Justice Babagana G. Ashigar, who delivered the judgement, said Aliero (former governor of Kebbi State) was not elected in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
He said the court nullified the election following the primary election conducted in the state by PDP in May which was marred by irregularities. He also held that the PDP did not give fair hearing to Haruna Saidu following a petition on allegation of forged signatures. The court held that he was not served with a copy of the petition brought against him.
The judge said INEC unlawfully excluded the plaintiff’s name (Saidu) from the primary participated by Aliero when he won the first primary. The judge declared that the primary that produced Aliero was a nullity.