Tribunal Upholds Governor Masari’s Re-Election
The Katsina state governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the petition filed by Senator Yakubu Lado challenging the election of Mr. Aminu Masari as the Governor of Katsina State.
The tribunal on Saturday ruled that the petition lacked merit.
In a split decision of two to one, the tribunal held that the petitioner failed to prove the allegation of substantial non-compliance to the electoral act in the conduct of the election.
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However, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice Alli Jos, in a dissenting judgement allowed the petition and ordered a fresh election in the state. His dissenting judgment was read by another member of the panel.
The petitioner had filed his petition in March 2019 and hearing commenced in May.
The petition was highly contentious, forcing a change in sitting venue from Katsina to Abuja.
The petitioner, senator Yakubu Lado of the PDP had asked the tribunal to overturn the declaration of governor Aminu Masari of the APC.
He predicated his petition on the grounds that Governor Masari falsified his age and academic qualifications in the affidavit submitted alongside his INEC nomination form.
The tribunal in the final analysis held that evidence of witnesses from 1-50 and some others is of no probative value since they confirmed that they gave their statements in Hausa language and the Hausa versions are not before the tribunal.
