Jobe Floors Ganduje’s Son at Kano Election Tribunal

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

The Kano National/State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal has upheld the victory of the member representing Rimin Gado/Dawakin Tofa/Tofa Federal Constituency, Kano, Alhaji Tijjani Abubakar Jobe, who floored the son of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abba Abdullahi Ganduje.

Jobe contested and won his election on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) against Abba Ganduje, who challenged Jobe’s victory at the tribunal after the 2023 National Assembly election.

The tribunal on Tuesday dismissed Abba’s petition due to lack of sufficient evidence to support the allegation during the conduct of the election.

Delivering the judgment, the three-man panel led by Justice I P Chima, dismissed the petition for lacking merit.

“The petitioner failed to present sufficient evidence to support the petition and the election of Jobe is hereby affirmed,” Chima said.

The tribunal ordered Abba to pay Jobe and other respondents the sum of N200,000 each as costs.

Earlier, the counsel to the petitioner, Mr Abdulgafar Murtala, urged the court to declare Umar as the winner and set aside the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration that announced Jobe as the winner of the February 25 election.

The counsel to the petitioner alleged that the Rimin Gado, Dawakin Tofa, and Tofa Constituency election was marred by over-voting and non-compliance with the 2022 Electoral Act.