Patigi bye-election: Tribunal sacks APC candidate, declares PDP winner

The House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, Ilorin has today sacked Adam Rufai, candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Pategi’s by-election as lawmaker representing Pategi constituency at the State Assembly.

The by-election, held in March, saw the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaring Rufai winner with a total of 10,354 votes against his closest challenger, Muhammad Yahaya of the PDP who got 4,623 votes.

Yahaya, meanwhile, filed a petition against Rufai at the Tribunal, seeking his victory to be upturned.

In a judgement, the Tribunal installed Yahaya of the PDP and ordered the INEC to issue him a Certificate of Return.

Rufai, our reporter gathered, was sacked on the ground of inconsistencies in the names that appeared on his certificates, with one carrying ‘Adam’, and another ‘Adama’.