Tribunal dismisses case against Kwankwaso

States and National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano, Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Alhaji Bashir Garba Lado of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the victory of the immediate past governor of Kano state, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the APC in the race for Kano Central Senatorial District.

Dismissing the petition, the presiding judge, Justice Cornelius Akintayo said the petitioner had failed to establish a prima facie evidence against the respondent, hence the decision to dismiss the case over lack of merit.


According to him, even though the petitioner was eminently qualified to contest for the seat of the Kano Central Senatorial District, his submission on challenging the substitution of the name of Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, the aspirant, who initially purchased the nomination form with that of the immediate governor was untenable and lacked merit.

Akintayo, however stated that the Tribunal did not find any incontrovertible evidence to declare the election null and void, saying the Tribunal considered the outcome of the Kano Central Senatorial District Election credible in the absence of any admissible evidence to prove otherwise.

Counsels to the petitioner and the respondents had unanimously concurred that the verdict of the election petition Tribunal was sound and credible and adduced that the clients would be fully consulted on the next line of action.

The Tribunal verdict was however greeted by considerable euphoria and jubilation by Kwankwaso’s die-hard supporters, who had seen the futility of challenging the outcome of the election they considered as free, fair and credible.

According to an APC Chieftain in Kano, who craved for anonymity, the petitioner had only wasted his energy and resources in chasing a wild goose, which could not deliver the expected golden eggs.

He said the petitioner was only myopic in his political calculation, given the landslide victory recorded by the immediate past governor, stressing that the petitioner was a victim of the new revolution in Nigeria’s politics.