On Thursday, the National/State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, which was sitting in Kano, confirmed that Sagir Koki of the New Nigeria Peoples Party prevailed over Muntari Ishaq Yakasai of the All Progressives Congress in the Kano Municipal House of Representatives election, which took place on February 25, 2023. Yakasai was the candidate for All Progressives Congress.
The petitioner failed to substantiate the claims of overvoting and non-collation of results in 25 polling units in the constituency during the election, as the three-member panel of judges led by Justice Flora Azinge ruled in their ruling. This was the conclusion reached by the panel after the petitioner presented their case.
The judge on the case stated that the petitioner did not show his charges of irregularities by producing an inadequate number of unbelievable witnesses to back up his claim.
In a similar manner, the tribunal decided that the petitioner’s witnesses were “second-hand and hearsay witnesses.”
“During their depositions under oath, the witnesses testified that they were not present in the polling units where the alleged instances of overvoting took place. They do not deserve to be believed in.
“None of the witnesses who testified suggested that the evidence that was obtained from their own personal experiences was not reliable or trustworthy.
Additionally, in order to establish the charges of anomalies, overvoting, and not being in line with the Electoral Act, 2022, he submitted papers that were irrelevant.
“The reliefs requested by the petitioner against the respondents will not be granted by the tribunal,” the judge said, “unless the petitioner presents the BVAS Machine and the Voter register in each of the polling units where the overvoting is said to have taken place.”
“The petitioner did not succeed in overcoming the respondents’ burden of proof,” the judge ruled.
“We have no obligation to prevent the return and declaration of Sagir Koki by INEC as the victor of the Kano Municipal Federal of House of Representatives Election that took place on the 25th of February 2023.
“The amount of N100,000 is accordingly awarded in favor of the Respondents against the Petitioner for the expense of the case.
According to the decision made by Justice Flora, “the petition is hereby dismissed for lack of proof.”