Blow For Labour Party As PDP Wins Senate Seat Battle At Court Of Appeal
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Saturday affirmed Senator Sunday Marshall Katung as the rightful winner of the Kaduna South senatorial election. A three-member panel, led by Justice Moore A. A. Adumein, unanimously upheld the earlier judgment of the National/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Kaduna.
The tribunal had dismissed the petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Michael Ayuba Auta, deeming it without merit. The Court of Appeal concurred with the tribunal’s decision, affirming Senator Sunday Marshall Katung’s victory under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Presiding Justice Adumein commended the tribunal’s thoroughness, stating, “Even a casual reading of the judgment reveals that the tribunal was very articulate and thorough in its decision.” The court supported the tribunal’s finding that Michael Ayuba Auta failed to substantiate claims that the election was marred by corrupt practices.
Justice Adumein emphasized that the Labour Party candidate couldn’t prove the criminal allegation of allocating unlawful votes to the winner of the February 25th election. Consequently, the court not only dismissed the appeal but also imposed a fine of N600,000 against Michael Ayuba Auta, in favor of Senator Sunday Marshall Katung, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the PDP.
