On Tuesday, September 5th, Jibrin Isah, the All Progressives Congress lawmaker representing Kogi East, faced a significant setback as the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal in Lokoja ruled against him. The tribunal, led by Justice K.A. Orjiako, responded to a petition filed by Victor Adoji, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, by agreeing with their requests.
Consequently, the tribunal ordered a rerun election in 94 polling units where the February Senatorial election results had been canceled. In a significant decision, Justice K.A. Orjiako nullified Isah’s victory and mandated the withdrawal of his certificate of return. The tribunal’s reasoning was based on the fact that 59,730 PVCs had been collected in the 94 affected polling units, while the margin of victory was only 26,922 votes.
Therefore, the Returning Officer should have declared the election inconclusive. As a result, the tribunal granted the petitioners’ requests and invalidated Jibrin Isah’s Certificate of Return. Furthermore, the tribunal directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize a supplementary election in the polling units where elections had not taken place or were canceled to determine the ultimate winner.