Tribunal takes decision on elections Sani Bello, Ndalikali as senators

The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal led by Justice Angela Otaluka, convened in Minna, the capital of Niger State, upheld the election victory of former governor Abubakar Sani Bello as the representative of Niger North Senatorial District. The verdict, delivered today, brings closure to a legal challenge that followed Bello’s contested win in the February 25, 2023 elections.

The tribunal’s verdict dismissed allegations of irregularities and multiple voting raised by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Abdullahi Shehu Mohammed, who contested against Bello on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Through his legal representative, Barrister Hussaini Garba, Abdullahi had sought to overturn the results in his favor by highlighting purported irregularities during the election process.

Justice Angela Otaluka, in delivering the tribunal’s decision, emphasized that the petitioner’s case lacked substantial evidence to support the claims of overvoting and other electoral malpractices. Consequently, the petition was dismissed, and the election victory of Abubakar Sani Bello was upheld.

Additionally, the tribunal also addressed a separate case involving Senator Peter Jiya Ndalikali of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), representing Niger South Senatorial District. The tribunal dismissed a petition filed by Senator Mohammed Bima of the APC, who had alleged irregularities in Ndalikali’s election victory. Justice Otaluka stated that the allegations presented by Senator Bima were unsubstantiated and lacked merit, leading to the dismissal of the petition.