In a swift turn of events, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has nullified the position of Bauchi House of Assembly Deputy Speaker, Jamilu Umaru Dahiru Barade. This comes just days after the court had nullified the election of the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly. The court has ordered a rerun election in specific polling units, citing allegations of over-voting by the appellant, Aliyu Abdullahi Ilela of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a rapid sequence of events, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has delivered a verdict resulting in the removal of Bauchi House of Assembly Deputy Speaker, Jamilu Umaru Dahiru Barade. This development comes shortly after the nullification of the election of the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly.

The 3-man panel of Justices, in a judgment pronounced on Monday, set aside the decision of the Bauchi State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, which had previously upheld Barade’s election as the duly elected representative for Bauchi Central State constituency.

The court’s ruling mandates a rerun election in specific polling units within the constituency, responding to allegations of over-voting raised by the appellant, Aliyu Abdullahi Ilela of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Additionally, the Court of Appeal directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to retract the Certificate of Return previously issued to the Deputy Speaker. INEC is now tasked with conducting a rerun election in the identified polling units to determine the ultimate winner.

This legal development underscores the dynamic nature of electoral processes and the importance of upholding the principles of fairness and transparency. As the electoral landscape in Bauchi undergoes these changes, stakeholders await the outcome of the rerun election to ascertain the constituency’s elected representative. Stay informed for further updates on this evolving situation.