Tribunal sacks Gombe Assembly speaker

The State and National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Gombe, on Tuesday, nullified the election of Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Abubakar Mohammed Luggerewo.

Dr Bashir Abdullahi Gaddafi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dragged Luggerewo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the tribunal over illegal cancellation of results in four polling units.

Dr Gaddafi told the court that the election for Akko Central state constituency held on March 18 was marred by irregularities and massive rigging by the candidate of the ruling APC.

In his ruling, presiding judge, Justice Micheal Ugar, faulted the cancellation of results of the polling units 001, 024 and 014 of Kumo at the collation centre, after they were earlier announced at the respective polling units.

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He said the petitioner has proved to the court the unlawful cancellation of his votes and returned the cancelled votes to the petitioner, which resulted in Gaddafi’s merging over the speaker with over 300 votes.

However, the judge ordered for a rerun in Kumo East 018, where votes were destroyed, to determine the winner of the Akko Central seat, between Luggerewo of the APC and Gaddafi of the PDP.

The tribunal also ordered the INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Speaker Luggerewo and conduct a rerun election within the next 90 days of the judgment.