Election tribunal sacks Sokoto House of Reps member

Election tribunal sacks Sokoto House of Reps member 

The Election Petitions Tribunal for Sokoto/Zamfara States sitting in Sokoto has sacked a member of the House of Representatives representing Yabo/Shagari federal constituency of Sokote State, Umar Yusuf Yabo Danmaje.

The tribunal also ordered Danmaje to pay N500,000 as damages to the petitioner in a verdict given on Monday.

In a unanimous judgement read by its chairman, Justice Ashu A. Ewah, the tribunal declared the election of Danmaje as member representing Yabo/Shagari Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives as null and void.

Justice Ewah said the election, which was initially conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2023 and rerun election on February 3, 2024, was marred with malpractices in some polling units, hence the exercise was inconclusive.

The tribunal ordered INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Danmaje and conduct a fresh election in the affected polling units of the constituency within 90 days.

The election is to be conducted in four affected polling units of the two local government areas of Yabo and Shagari in the federal constituency of the state.

The four polling units where INEC was asked to conduct election are three polling units in Shagari LGA and one polling unit in Yabo local government area.

The affected polling units are Dagawa Maji Kira, Dagawa Mai Zane, Shiyar Magaji, Kesoji Shiyar Hakimi, Jaredi Maji Kira and Mazoji, all in Shagari and Yabo local government areas of Sokoto State.