PDP Loses Again In Taraba, As Court Unseats Senator

The Court of Appeal sitting in Yola has upheld a tribunal’s ruling, sacking Bashir Marafa as senator representing Taraba Central Senatorial District making the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP suffer another electoral set back in the State.

On September 30, the National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal in Taraba State, nullified the election of Mr. Marafa and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue Certificate of Return to All Progressives Congress candidate, Yusuf Abubakar.

Delivering the September 30 judgement, one of the members of the tribunal, Suleiman Yusuf, said the petitioners in case, the APC, and its candidate, had proved their case beyond reasonable doubt.

The tribunal had held the election of Mr. Marafa could not stand as he did not score the lawful majority votes in the March 28 election. The tribunal therefore ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to return Mr. Abubakar as the candidate that scored the majority lawful votes during the polls.

Following the ruling, Mr. Marafa appealed the tribunal’s decision but has now lost.