From the CourtNewsPolitics

Patigi By-Election: Appeal Court to deliver judgment on APC appeal, today

By Mumini Abdulkareem
The Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin has fixed Monday 23rd November, 2020 (today) to deliver judgment on the appeals filed by the sacked lawmaker representing Patigi constituency at the House of Assembly, Hon Ahmed Adam Rufai, and his party, All Progressive Congress (APC) challenging the standing judgement of the Elections Petition Tribunal which nullified the elections and ordered the lawmaker to vacate the seat.
The PDP candidate in the election, Salihu Mohammed Yahaya, raised issues with the certificate of the APC lawmaker for which he used to contest the election.
Consequently, the Elections Petition Tribunal On 28th September, 2020 sacked Hon Ahmed Adama Rufai from the Kwara House of Assembly after it held that there were inconsistencies in credentials submitted for the purpose of elections by the lawmaker.
The Tribunal thereafter declared Hon Salihu Yahaya and PDP winners of the March, 2020 bye-elections which was held in Patigi.
The Appeal Court sitting reserved judgment in the case last week after adopting all the written addresses of the counsel to both parties.
The PDP was represented by Barrister John Baiyeshea (SAN) while the APC’s counsel is Oba Magaji AbdulKadir. Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Barrister Ayodeji Akerele was also in court.
The seat became a contentious issue after the state House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal, sitting in Ilorin, nullified the election of the lawmaker representing Pategi Constituency, in the Kwara state House of Assembly, Ahmed Adam over alleged irregularities in his names.
The tribunal consequently declared Hon Salihu Yahaya Mohammed, of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the bye-election held in March 2020.
Delivering judgement, the Chairman of the tribunal, Aminat Aliyu, said “Adam’s name on the EC9 form, is different from the one on his primary school certificate, declaration of age, voter card, and in the letter forwarded to the INEC on 15th January, 2019.
Then counsel to the PDP candidate, Barrister Ibn Mahmud, said “the judgement reflected the position of law.”
The APC however rejected the ruling of the tribunal and appealed the decision which has since pitched the ruling and opposition parties against one another.
A statement by the state Chairman of the party, Engr Kola Shittu, said “The judiciary should be hailed for standing up for the truth by declaring Hon Salihu Yahaya Mohammed, as winner of the House of Assembly bye election which was held on March 14, 2020, following the indictment of the APC candidate over alleged forgery of his certificate.”
The PDP and its candidate had gone to the tribunal alleging that the APC candidate, Adam, deposed false information in the EC9 form he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
In his reaction to the development, the Publicity Secretary of APC in the state, Folaranmi Aro, said the judgment was based on the difference between “Adam” and “Adama” on the party candidate’s certificate adding that… “We are definitely going to appeal the judgment because it signals danger for our democracy…”

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