The National and State House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal in Kano has nullified the election of Muktar Umar Yerima of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The tribunal also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return earlier issued to Yerima.
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The petitioner, Hafizu Kawu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), challenged Yerima’s emergence, claiming he wasn’t qualified.
INEC had declared Yerima winner of the House of Representatives election for Tarauni Federal Constituency.
However, Daily Trust reports that the three-man panel of the tribunal led by Justice I.P. Chima held that Yerima was not qualified because he forged his primary school certificate.
The tribunal had held that Yerima’s defence that he had a change of name in 2022 did not hold water, having been using three (Umar Mukhtar Zakari) names on his international passports since 2009, while his primary school certificate still bears Umar Mukhtar.
It also held that the said primary school, Hausawa Primary School, has disowned the certificate tendered by the sacked lawmaker.
Therefore, it was ruled that the NNPP had no candidate in the election.
