A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a case filed against the eligibility of Musa Adamu to contest the by-election to represent Babura/Garki Federal Constituency of Jigawa State, conducted on March 14, 2020.
The by-election followed the death of the member representing the constituency, who was the father of Mr Adamu.
PREMIUM TIMES reported on Monday how Nasiru Dantiye asked the court for a declaration that Mr Adamu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, was not qualified to contest the election because he presented false information to INEC in support of his credentials to contest the election.
Delivering the judgement on Tuesday, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu said the plaintiff, Mr Dantiye, failed to prove the allegation against Mr Adamu beyond reasonable doubt.
She held that Mr Adamu, who was the 2nd defendant in the suit, was qualified to contest the election.
“It is the view of this court that the case of the plaintiff has failed and it is hereby dismissed”, she said.
The judge said the allegation that the certificate presented by the lawmaker did not belong to him could not be proven by the plaintiff as only the issuing authority could make such pronouncement.
“The plaintiff have failed to write to WAEC to answer whether the certificate belong to the 2nd dependent or not. They also did not present someone who lays claim to ownership of the said certificate.”
Ms Ojukwu also disagreed with the plaintiffs on the disparities in the names of the lawmaker on the credentials presented to the electoral body, INEC, saying the names were synonymous with each other as argued by the defence team.
She disagreed with the plantiff’s lawyers on the similarities between the case and a recent case which led to disqualification of a deputy governorship candidate in Bayelsa State.
Commmenting on the judgement, the lawmaker described it as a vindication of him and the Jigawa State governor, Badaru Abubakar.
Mr Adamu who was in tears on emerging from the courtroom said the decision of the court has relieved him of the burden of the allegations against him.
He said the end to the litigation will provide him time to focus more on his representation of his constituents at the National Assembly.
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