Court of Appeal Nullifies PDP’s Victory in Niger State, Declares APC’s Kasim as Winner

In a significant development, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned the victory of Suleiman Wanchiko from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Bida I (North) State Constituency election in Niger.

The court declared Bako Kasim of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the rightful winner.

Justice Bature Isa-Gafai, delivering the judgment on behalf of the three-member panel, deemed Wanchiko’s appeal as unmeritorious.

The court concurred with Kasim’s counsel, Johnson Usman, SAN, asserting that Wanchiko’s use of a forged testimonial presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) warranted disqualification from the election.

Wanchiko, initially declared the winner by INEC with 12,062 votes, faced opposition from Kasim, who challenged the victory, citing the submission of a forged testimonial and non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.

The election petition tribunal, after a thorough trial, found merit in Kasim’s petition, disqualified Wanchiko, and ordered a re-run without him.

Unsatisfied with the tribunal’s decision, Wanchiko, represented by Aliyu Lemu, SAN, sought recourse in the Court of Appeal, urging the court to overturn the tribunal’s ruling.

However, Kasim’s lawyer, Johnson Usman, pressed for the dismissal of the appeal, advocating for his client’s reinstatement as the rightful winner.

The Court of Appeal sided with Usman’s argument, emphasizing that Wanchiko’s disqualification warranted the declaration of Kasim as the authentic winner.

The court directed INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Bako Kasim.