By Abdulwaheed Olayinka Adubi.
Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna, kaduna state, has dismissed the pre-hearing notice of the 1st and 2nd petitioners, Hon. Isa Ashiru and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over abandonment.
The three-man panel in a majority judgement of two to one said that the petitioners were unable to filed their pre-hearing notice as stipulated by the law.
To this end, the tribunal upheld the preliminary objection filed by Uba Sani on the timeliness of the pre-hearing notice filed by the PDP and its candidate, Isah Mohammed Ashiru.
Meanwhile, the main petition of the petitioners of non compliance to the dictate of the Electoral Act 2022 and manipulation of election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was upheld, saying that the petition was duly filed within the 21 days as required by the law, as against the claim of the respondents; Gov. Uba Sani and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The court affirmed that the petition was filed on 10th April 2023
Looking at the merit of the case however, the tribunal ordered for a rerun in 22 polling units in seven wards across four local government areas of the State.
The tribunal also held that the re-run election should hold within 90 days from the date of the judgment.
Two out of the three Judges ruled that the election was inconclusive in those areas.