The Kano State National and State House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal has nullified the election of House of Representatives member Muktar Umar Yerima over certificate forgery.
Mr Yerima of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) was sacked following a petition brought before the tribunal by Hafizu Kawu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.
Mr Yerima was the federal lawmaker representing Tarauni Federal Constituency, having won the February 25 election.
The APC had challenged the victory of NNPP in the poll on the basis that Mr Yerima, who had the highest number of votes, forged the primary school certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The tribunal’s three-man panel, led by Justice I. P. Chima, sided with Mr Kawu and ruled that Mr Yerima’s victory was invalid. It dismissed the defendant’s defence that he had legally changed his name.
Delivery the judgment, Justice Chima found that the primary school certificate submitted by Mr Yerima was indeed forged after thoroughly examining the evidence submitted by the plaintiff in the suit.
