Tribunal Nullifies Bagudu’s Election, Returns Aliero As Winner

The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State, has nullified the election of Senator Atiku Bagudu of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) and declared former Federal Capital Territory (FCT ) Minister, Sen. Mohammed Adamu Aliero as the lawful person to represent Kebbi Senatorial District at the National Assembly.

Delivering its ruling on the motions on notice praying the tribunal to issue an order that would set aside its earlier judgement, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Alero Edodo-Eruaga, declared that the tribunal had no reason to depart from the earlier position and dismissed it outright.

She explained that on July 30, the tribunal had entered a judgement against Sen. Bagudu, PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for disobeying the a pre-hearing order for failing to participate in good faith pursuant to paragraph 18 (11) of the Electoral Act.

Justice Edod-Eruaga noted that Sen. Bagudu, was the principal party in the defence who stood to lose if the earlier judgement remained, yet he and his legal team did not see the need to put facts forward.