Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benue State, has voided the election of Senator Emmanuel Udende, member representing Benue North East Senatorial District in the National Assembly under the platform of the All Progressives Congress—APC.
Mr Udende in February was declared winner of the National Assembly election after polling a total of 135,573 votes to defeat Senator Gabriel Suswam of the Peoples Democratic Party—PDP, who polled 112,231 votes.
However, not satisfied with the result of the election as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission—INEC, Senator Suswam proceeded to the Tribunal on the ground that the election was characterized by over voting, irregularities, alterations and falsification of results.
The former Governor challenged the results from 474 polling units across five Local Government Areas in the Senatorial Zone which is made up of seven LGAs with 1,844 polling units.
During the hearing, Senator Suswam tendered 1,182 exhibits and called 19 witnesses while Senator Udende called one witness and tendered five exhibits. The APC called three witnesses and tendered three documents. INEC on the other hand failed to call any witnesses, resting it case on the evidence of the others.
In her ruling in a judgement that lasted over three hours, Justice Zik-Ikeoha declared that the evidences provided by the petitioners’ counsel established that indeed there were cases of over-voting, falsification and mutilation of results sheets as well as malpractices “in five out of the seven LGAs that make up the Senatorial District.”
The Tribunal ruled that “the petitioners establish that the result from the affected polling units were falsified.”
It therefore cancelled 51,895 votes entered for Senator Udende and also cancelled 21,229 votes entered for Senator Suswam.
After subtracting the padded votes, Senator Suswam was left with 90,590 while Senator Udende scored 82,699 votes.
Upholding the petition, Justice Zik-Ikeorha held that “the Tribunal is satisfied that the petitioners have fulfilled the requirement of the law and judgment is entered in their favour.”
The court ordered INEC to issue a fresh certificate of returns to Senator Suswam as he stood duly elected.