Court Of Appeal Upholds Bukola Saraki’s Election

The Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin, yesterday, upheld the election of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki as the lawmaker representing Kwara Central Senatorial District. The court held that Saraki was duly elected during the March 28, 2015 National Assembly elections.

The presiding judge, Justice J. S. Ikyegh, who read the judgment, said there was no basis for the appeal, as the appellant did not prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.

The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate in the election, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq had challenged Saraki’s election at the Election Petitions Tribunal but lost out as the tribunal affirmed Saraki’s election.

Dissatisfied with the ruling of the tribunal, AbdulRasaq took his case to the appellate court.

Reacting to the development, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed described the judgment as a judicial affirmation of the love the people of Kwara have for the Senate president over the years.
Governor Ahmed, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, said the judgment is a testimony that the judiciary remains a fair and just arbiter as well as the hope of all citizens.

The governor noted that the judiciary has, through such fair and just judgments since the present democratic experience started in 1999, sustained democratic values in the country.

According to Ahmed, “it is note worthy that Senator Saraki while the election case lasted, never got distracted in his onerous duty as the senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District and the President of the 8th Senate”.

He added that the people of Saraki’s senatorial district and the people of Kwara state never had apprehension as a result of the litigation because they were convinced that Senator Saraki was popularly elected in the last national assembly elections.

“Now that the litigation has been laid to rest, I urge kwarans to once again remain united and committed to the common good of all rather than egocentrism  and politics of hatred which are antithetical to collective progress and development “,  Ahmed advised.