The Court of Appeal, Makurdi Division, has affirmed the electoral victory of Senator Suleiman Adokwe which was earlier nullified by the National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The election tribunal had, on October 12, 2015, nullified the election of Senator Adokwe, who represents Nasarawa South senatorial constituency in the Senate.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Adokwe had approached the appellate court to seek redress.
In a unanimous judgment, delivered by Justice Monica B. Dongban-Mensem, the appellate court set aside the ruling of the election panel and restored the excluded results that were earlier used to deny Adokwe his victory at the lower court.
The appellate court also struck out the list of objection votes by the 2nd and 3rd respondents in the appeal.
Justice Dongban-Mensen then ordered that the “the 1st respondent (INEC) shall return the appellant (Adokwe) as the duly elected Senator for the Nasarawa South senatorial seat for the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“That it is hereby so ordered,” the court stated.
(Akeeb Alarape, DAILY SUN)
