Mr. Joshua Audu-Gana, the Niger State House of Representatives member representing Edati/Lavun/Mokwa Federal Constituency, has stated that he will appeal the election petition tribunal’s decision.
A three-member tribunal led by Sylvester Godspower delivered judgement on Monday, agreeing with the petitioners’ submissions.
The tribunal invalidated votes in the constituency’s 26 polling units, reducing Gana’s votes to 46,494 and Gbatamagi’s votes to 39,159.
Speaking to newsmen, Audu-Gana said: “While the tribunal has ruled for a rerun in some polling units in my constituency, I remain a member of the House of Representatives until all judicial processes are exhausted”.
The tribunal ordered a rerun in 23 out of 482 polling units in the constituency, affecting 14,411 PVCs collected in the area.
“Well, this is not what we expected, but this is democracy, and we remain confident that our time in the House of Representatives is far from over.
“I understand the exuberance of the media to attract readership. But it is established that the judicial process does not end at the tribunal.
”Therefore, I am focused on discharging my legislative responsibility to the good people of Edati/Lavun/Mokwa Federal Constituency while also defending the mandate freely and creditably given to me by my constituents at the Court of Appeal.
“I am confident that this judgement by the tribunal will not stand.
”I urge the good and hardworking people of Edati/Lavun/Mokwa Federal Constituency to keep the faith and be rest assured that their mandate will not be taken away under any guise.”
Audu-Gana was declared the winner after receiving 47,942 votes, defeating All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate Abdullahi Gbatamagi, who received 40,033 votes.
However, the APC and its candidate, Gbatamagi, petitioned the tribunal through their counsel, Johnson Usman, to contest Gana’s victory.
They claimed that the election was invalid because the Electoral Act of 2022 was not followed.
Additionally, they stated that the margin of victory was less than the number of permanent voter cards (PVCs) collected in polling units where elections were cancelled or postponed.
