Nora Daduut’s Victory Affirmed As Plateau South Senator At The Elections Petition Tribunal In Jos
The Oasis Reporters
June 24, 2021
Senator Prof. Nora Daduut (middle), besides her husband and counsellor, Pius Akubo, SAN
By Asile Abel, Jos
The National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Jos, Plateau state capital has affirmed the victory of Senator Nora Daduut of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) as the duly elected Senator of the Plateau South Senatorial district bye-election.
Plateau South Senatorial District covers six local governments namely, Langtang North, Langtang South, Mikang, Qua’anpan, Shendam, and Wase.
It used to be a People’s Democratic Party, PDP stronghold as can be seen from it’s list of senators since 1999:
Silas Janfa PDP 1999 – 2003
Cosmas Niagwan PDP 2003 – 2007
John Shagaya PDP 2007 2011
Victor Lar PDP 2011 – 2015
Jeremiah Useni PDP 2015 – 2019
Ignatius Longjan PDP 2019 but he died in
February 2020, thus necessitating a bye-election which Prof. Nora Daduut of the APC won.
In the four hour long judgment delivered, the three man panel of the tribunal led by Justice D.A. Akhobe said that the petition filed by George Daika of People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), challenging the election of Daduut lacked merit and was thereby dismissed.
Daika had approached the court challenging the declaration of Senator Nora Daduut by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) in the Plateau South Senatorial district bye-election of 5th December, 2020.
Some of the issues Daika raised included election malpractice (over voting), Violation of electoral act (under age voting) and non-qualification of the candidacy of Senator Daduut.
It would be recalled that INEC had earlier declared that Senator Daduut who polled 83,151 votes cast while Daika secured 70,838 votes and therefore, Daduut was returned elected having scored the highest number of votes cast by leading with about 12, 313 margin.
INEC’s Returning Officer for Plateau South Senatorial bye election, Prof. Idris Amali, said that the candidate of the APC defeated her opponent in four local councils in the senatorial district, while the PDP candidate won in two local councils.
Justice Akhobe maintained that the law is certain as the pronouncement by INEC stands and the second respondent Senator Daduut won with the majority lawful votes cast.
He also revealed that the petitioners achieved nothing in the testimonies of all the 15 witnesses as none of them presented cogent evidence to back their claims.
Speaking shortly after the judgment, Senator Daduut dedicated the victory to God and the entire people of Plateau South Senatorial district.
She called on her opponent George Daika to join hands with her and work to turn the fortunes of the Southern zone around for good.
In his reaction, Daika who spoke with the press accused the tribunal of a lack of fairness because they were not given the opportunity to present all their witnesses, including the subpoenaed ones.
He said he lacked confidence in the judiciary, and therefore would find it difficult to challenge the judgment at the appellate Court.
