The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Minna, Niger State, today upheld the election of Alhaji Lado Abdullahi, the member representing Suleja, Gurara, Tafa Federal Constituency.
reports that Lado’s election was challenged by Mr Mukhtar Ahmed of the PDP on the grounds that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate was not qualified to contest the March 28 elections.
The petitioner alleged that Lado did not possess the minimum educational qualification as stipulated by law and had forged the certificates he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest the election.
Delivering judgement after reviewing evidences adduced by parties in the matter, Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Olatunde Oshodi, dismissed the petition for lack of merit.
He ordered the petitioner to pay the sum of N100, 000 to each of the respondents.
In his reaction to the verdict, counsel to the petitioner, Mohammed Mohammed, told journalits that they would study the judgement and decide on the next line of action.
“Well, we are going to review the judgement of the tribunal and advise our client accordingly,” he stated.