Tribunal throws out petitions against two PDP lawmakers in Kaduna

Kaduna State’s Election Petition Tribunal for the National Assembly has ruled against a challenge to the election of two People’s Democratic Party (PDP) representatives to the House of Representatives.

Petitioners from the Kachia/Kagarko Federal Constituency, David Umar Gurara, and the Kauru Federal Constituency, Hon. Bashir Shadow, had their cases dismissed by the tribunal on Saturday.

They won a seat in the House of Representatives in the election held on February 25, 2023, and were re-elected.

The candidates for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Honourable Gabriel Haar Zock and Honourable Mukhtar Zakari, hauled them before the tribunal.

Zock asked the tribunal to overturn INEC’s proclamation and hold new elections since, according to his appeal, 43 voting precincts were not properly counted.

After coming in second during the election, Zakari filed a plea with the tribunal, stating that Shadow had produced a counterfeit school certificate and asking that he be awarded second place and a certificate of return.

Justice H.H. Kereng, chairman of the Tribunal, ruled in favour of David Umar Gurara, declaring that petitioner Gabriel Haar Zock had failed to offer credible evidence to substantiate his case. The entire petition was shot down by him.

As for Zakari’s petition against Shadow, Hon. Justice Abdu Maiwada Abubakar ruled that it was without merit and was therefore dismissed.

The petition filed by the two petitioners was dismissed by the tribunal, according to Barr. Kassai Jessy, one of the lead counsels for the two respondents.

He praised the court for being “generous” in not punishing the petitioners monetarily for wasting its time.