Borno Senate seat: Tribunal dismisses petition against Ndume

The Borno State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the petition challenging the election of Senator Ali Ndume as senator for Borno South Senatorial District. In a unanimous decision, yesterday, the three-member panel of judges held that the petitioners did not establish allegations of malpractices and irregularities in the February 23 National Assembly […]

The Borno State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the petition challenging the election of Senator Ali Ndume as senator for Borno South Senatorial District.

In a unanimous decision, yesterday, the three-member panel of judges held that the petitioners did not establish allegations of malpractices and irregularities in the February 23 National Assembly elections.

Kudla Satumari of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had alleged that the election was conducted in substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and Regulations and Guidelines and Manual for Election Official, 2019.

The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Peter Kekemeke, upheld the submission of counsel to the APC, Yusuf Ali (SAN) who asked the tribunal to dismiss the petition for being incompetent and should be “given a decent burial.”

He said the 14 witnesses summoned to testify were mainly supervisors and not polling unit agents, and therefore their evidences on irregularities were based on hearsay.

“There are 1,305 polling units in the senatorial district; the petitioners are challenging only 119 polling units. Even if all the 100, 000 votes in the 119 polling units are given to them, they still have a deficit of 200,000 votes,” he said

APC polled 300,636 votes as against 86,934 votes by the PDP in the polls which held in the nine local governments of Chibok, Damboa, Askira/Uba, Biu, Bayo, Kwaya-Kusar, Shani, Hawul and Gwoza.