Tribunal Sacks PDP Lawmaker

Tribunal Sacks PDP Lawmaker

The Zamfara State National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, situated in Sokoto, has invalidated the election of Basiru Bello Auki, who represented Bungudu West in the State House of Assembly.

Auki had been elected under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

On Thursday, a three-member panel of judges delivered the judgment that nullified his election.

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The basis for this decision was that Auki, the ousted legislator, failed to comply with the provision of section 107 (1) (f) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

According to this constitutional clause, an individual holding a position in the public service of the Federation or any State is ineligible for election to a House of Assembly if they haven’t resigned from their public service position at least thirty days before the election date.

The tribunal confirmed that the petitioner, Basiru Lawal Bungudu, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), successfully substantiated his claim with substantial evidence. Bungudu’s legal representative, Barrister Ibrahim Ali, presented evidence before the tribunal, including the last payslip reflecting the salary paid to Auki by the Bungudu Local Government Council, even after his election. This corroborated the assertion that Auki was still employed in the public service when he was elected, in contravention of the constitutional requirement.