VAM News Update

THE National and State House of Assembly elections petition tribunal in Kano has nullified the election of Muktar Umar Yerima of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Yerima as winner of the House of Representatives election for Tarauni Federal Constituency.

But the three-man panel of the tribunal led by Justice I.P. Chima held that Yerima was not qualified having forged his primary school certificate.

According to the tribunal, the case of the petitioner, Hafizu Kawu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging Yerima emergence succeeded having proven a case of forgery against the NNPP candidate.

The tribunal therefore held that the NNPP had no candidate in the election and all the votes that were cast for Yerima were wasted votes.

It thereafter directed INEC to withdraw the certificate of return earlier issued to Yerima.

The tribunal had held that Yerima’s defence that he had made a change of name in 2022 did not hold water having been using three (Umar Mukhtar Zakari) names on his International passports since 2009 while his primary school certificate still bears Umar Mukhtar.

It also held that the said primary school, Hausawa Primary School, has disown the certificate tendered by the sacked lawmaker.