The Deputy Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Jamilu Barade, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been removed from office following a judgment by the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja. The three-man panel of the appellate court delivered the verdict on Monday, invalidating the election of Mr. Barade and mandating a rerun in certain polling units.
The judgment overturned the ruling of the Bauchi State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, which had previously upheld Mr. Barade’s election as the rightful representative of Bauchi Central State constituency. The decision came as a result of a petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Aliyu Ilela, who contested the election’s outcome, citing alleged overvoting in nine polling units. Although the tribunal had initially dismissed Ilela’s petition, the Appeal Court ruled in his favour and ordered a rerun in several polling units.
In light of the judgment, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been instructed to retract the Certificate of Return previously issued to the Deputy Speaker. Additionally, the Appeal Court has mandated fresh elections in the constituency’s contested polling units, where claims of over-voting were raised.
This ruling marks a significant development in Bauchi’s political landscape, as the judicial intervention has reshaped the composition of the State House of Assembly. With the mandate for a rerun in specific polling units, the electoral dynamics in Bauchi Central State constituency are poised for a transformative shift, as the electorate prepares to exercise their voting rights once again.
