The Supreme Court on Friday has nullified the elections of Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi representing Taraba North Senatorial District and Hon. Herman Hembe of the Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituency of Benue state in the House of Representatives
The apex Court in its Friday ruling which directed both Hembe and Danladi to vacate their seats also ask both parties to refund all the salaries/allowances they collected while occupying their respective seats within 90 days.
The Supreme Court verdict delivered by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to withdraw with immediate effect the Certificate of Return it issued to them.
The five-man panel of Justices led by Justice Walter Onnoghen, ordered that the duo of Shuaibu Isa Lau and Mrs. Dorathy Mato be given certificates of return and also replace both Danladi and Hembe as the Senator representing Taraba North Senatorial District and Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituency of Benue state in the House of Representatives respectively.
According to Justice Augie, Senator Danladi was not validly nominated by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to participate in the senatorial contest, noting that the Appellant, Lau, was wrongfully substituted for Sen. Abubakar Danladi
Delivering the verdict Justice Augie said “From the totality of the appeal before this court, all the issues are resolved in favour of the appellant. His substitution at the primary election is null and void since the appellant scored the highest number of votes, the only option is to declare the appellant as winner of the primary election”.
Similarly, in the second case, the CJN held that Mrs. Mato was the winner of the primary election the All Progressives Congress, APC, conducted from December 7th to 20th, 2014, with respect to Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituency of Benue State.
The apex court further held that Mrs. Mato who was the appellant before it, was the winner of the general election of March 28, 2015, regarding the constituency, as candidate of the APC.
