Appeal Court sacks Doguwa, APC lawmaker/House of Reps Leader

Three days after the Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna nullified the election of the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, another stalwart of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has lost his seat in the lower House.

The Court of Appeal, Monday, quashed the election of House Leader, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa.

In a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie, the appellate court voided the election in the two local government areas that Hon. Doguwa represents. He represents the Tudunwada/Doguwa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

The court also ordered a re-run within 90 days.

On Friday, November 1, the appellate court had ordered fresh election into the Kiru/Bebeji federal constituency seat of Kano State occupied by Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin. This was sequel to a legal challenge by Aliyu Datti Yako of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who faulted the declaration of Jibrin as winner of the February 23, 2019 vote.

The Election Petition Tribunal had earlier dismissed Datti Yako’s petition but the Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna, headed by Justice Ajoke Adepoju, voided the entire election conducted in the two local governments of Kiru and Bebeji, saying it cannot stand any test of integrity.

The reversal of Jubrin’s political fortune came at the peak of a roiling battle between him and the leadership of the APC in his constituency. Recall that the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation was, three months ago, suspended by his constituency.

In another development, the Court of Appeal sitting in Makurdi, also on Monday, upheld the election of a former Governor of Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Suswam, as the senator representing Benue North-East senatorial district. Senator Suswam had earlier won the case at the lower tribunal in the state.