The National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal has sacked Idris Dankawu of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for forging his West African School Certificate (WAEC).
The NNPP candidate submitted the result as part of the requirements before he contested for the Kumbotso Federal House of Representatives Constituency seat of Kano state.
Munir Babba Danagudi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who contested against Dankawu, had filed a petition alleging that the NNPP candidate presented a fraudulent Secondary School Certificate to gain admission into Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Kaduna.
Following the petition., Justice I.P. Chima delivered a verdict and declared:
“Idris Dankawu of NNPP has forged his WAEC certificate, and as a consequence, the election is voided.”
The tribunal also instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to set aside the Certificate of Return previously awarded to Dankawu.
It declared Danagudi as the winner of the Kumbotso Federal Constituency poll on February 25, 2023.
Justice Chima emphasised the tribunal’s adherence to the law, stating,
“Having satisfied with the provision of the law, we hereby declare and return Munir Babba Danagudi as the winner of the Kumbotso Federal House of Representatives Election”.
Recall that the tribunal had earlier nullified the election of the member representing Tarauni Federal Constituency, Mukhtar Yarima, over forgery too.