National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jalingo has nullified the election of Ex-Taraba Acting governor, Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi representing Taraba North senatorial district in the National Assembly on the platform of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr. Ali Sani Kona of the All Progressive Congress (APC) had challenged the declaration of Sani Abubakar Danladi of the PDP as the winner of the election on the ground that the election conducted in 54 polling units in three local government areas of Karim Lamido, Zing and Yorro were marred by irregularities.
He prayed the tribunal to declare the election inconclusive and order a fresh election in the 54 polling units to determine the actual winner of the election.
Counsel to both parties had during hearing exchanged written addresses and called witnesses to prove their case.
In his ruling, Justice Ibrahim Yusuf who read the judgment held that the 1st and 2nd petitioners, Ali Sani Kona and APC respectively have given satisfactory evidence to prove their case.
The tribunal held that, given the evidence before it, election in 48 out of the 54 polling units complained of by the petitioners were not conducted in compliance with the electoral act, as there were evidence of over-voting and nonaccreditation of voters in the units, yet results were declared by the 1st respondent, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The three man panel of justices then declared the scores awarded the 3rd respondent, Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi in the 48 polling units null and void. The panel declared the election inconclusive, saying the 36,428 registered voters in the 48 polling units were more than the marginal difference between the 1st petitioner and the 3rd respondent.
The tribunal then ordered that the certificate of return issued the 3rd respondent be set aside and election conducted in the 48 polling units within 90 days and the result added to both contestants to determine the winner.
In his reaction to the judgment, counsel to the 1st petitioner, Festus Kayode Idepefo Esq hailed the tribunal justices for a well delivered judgment while Abayomi Akamode Esq the counsel to the 2nd respondent, PDP, said the justices gave the judgment based on what they saw, but he would brief his client and take instruction on the next line of action.