The election of Abubakar Mohammed Luggerewo as Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly was void on Tuesday, according to the State and National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Gombe.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Luggerewo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were brought before the tribunal by Dr. Bashir Abdullahi Gaddafi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the improper cancellation of results in four voting places.
Dr. Gaddafi testified before the court that the candidate for the ruling APC rigged the Akko Central state constituency poll heavily on March 18.
Justice Micheal Ugar, the presiding judge, reprimanded the collation center for canceling the results of the Kumo polling units 001, 024, and 014 after they had already been announced in those polling places.
He claimed that by demonstrating to the court the improper cancellation of his votes and returning the cancelled votes to the petitioner, Gaddafi was able to surpass the speaker by more than 300 votes.
To choose between Luggerewo of the APC and Gaddafi of the PDP for the Akko Central seat, the judge ordered a rerun in Kumo East 018, where votes were destroyed.
The tribunal further mandated that a new election be held within 90 days of the ruling and that the INEC revoke the Certificate of Return it had previously given to Speaker Luggerewo.
