Nasarawa elections: Maku loses bid to unseat Al-Makura

Umaru Tanko Al-Makura

The Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has dismissed the petition by the former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, challenging the re-election of Governor Tanko Al-Makura in the April 11 governorship poll.

The judgement made available to news men in Lafia revealed that the tribunal dismissed the petition of Maku, who contested the election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, for lacking in merit.

Justice Halima Shammaki, who headed the tribunal, said the petitioner could not prove his allegations of electoral malpractices beyond reasonable doubt.

In the tribunal judgment, Shammaki said, “The petitioner could not prove beyond reasonable doubt where he alleged that card readers were not used in some polling units; he also failed to sort out ballot papers tendered before the tribunal. It was not the business of the tribunal to sort them out for the petitioner.”

“There was no credible evidence where he alleged that the election was marred with violence in some places, unlawful declaration of votes, inflation of figures, mutilation and over voting,” the Justice noted.

Maku’s running mate, Alhaji Ibrahim Abu, who spoke after the judgment, affirmed that the petitioner was not satisfied with the judgment.

Abu insisted that the party was robbed, vowing that the party would head for the Appeal Court to challenge the verdict of the tribunal. .

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