Kaduna: tribunal upheld Donatus Mathew’s election victory

The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Kaduna has affirmed the victory of Donatus Mathew, the Labour Party (LP) candidate, in the House of Representatives election for Kaura Federal Constituency. The tribunal dismissed the petition brought by Gideon Gwani, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and former Minority Whip at the 9th Assembly, who sought to invalidate Donatus’s election.

Justice F.A. Fiberesima, leading a three-man panel that heard the petition, delivered the judgment on Friday. The tribunal not only dismissed the case but also awarded N1.6 million in damages to Donatus.

Gwani’s petition raised two main points: questioning Donatus’s qualification as the party’s flag bearer and alleging electoral malpractices in five areas. However, the tribunal ruled in favor of Donatus, finding no merit in the petitioner’s claims.

Speaking to journalists after the ruling, Zakari Sogfa, counsel to Donatus, stated that the tribunal rejected Gwani’s argument that Donatus was not sponsored by his political party. The tribunal emphasized that it is the right of a political party to determine its candidate and conduct its elections.