The election of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate Umar Mukhtari Zakari for the Tarauni Federal Constituency in Kano State was overturned by the Court of Appeal after it had been nullified by the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.
Saturday in Abuja, a three-judge bench backed arguments made by Mahmud Magaji (SAN), counsel for Zakari and the NNPP, that the tribunal had committed an error of law in reaching its verdict.
The Court of Appeal agreed with the dissenting opinion written by Justice Obande Ogbuinya that the tribunal erred in concluding that Zakari faked his credentials.
On March 17, 2023, Ibrahim Hafiz Kawu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) filed a petition challenging the results of the February 25 election, in which Zakari was declared the victor.
The petitioners claimed that Zakari had provided a fake certificate from Housawa Special Primary School to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) because the name on the certificate was “Muktar Umar.”
On Saturday, the Court of Appeal issued its ruling, finding that the petitioners before the tribunal (the respondents) had failed to establish that Zakari was not the same individual who had attended the school and received the certificate.
The court then reversed the tribunal’s decision, upheld the appeal, and confirmed Zakari’s election.
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