Judiciary
GOVERNOR Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State on Friday won a legal tussle seeking his removal from office.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja, dismissed the suit instituted against Bagudu by the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in the April 11, 2015 election, Maj.-Gen. Bello Sarki-Yarki (retd), and two others.
Sarki-Yarki, an interested citizen, Anthony Itanyi, and the PDP, had filed the suit, alleging that Bagudu lied on oath by declaring in his Affidavit of Personal Particulars otherwise called Form CF.001, submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Bagud had allegedly lied in the form that he was not under any conviction or fine for dishonesty or fraud imposed by any court or tribunal.
The plaintiffs alleged that contrary to Bagudu’s claim in the Form CF.001, the governor was arrested on May 22, 2003, in Houston, Texas, United States, based on an extradition request made by the United Kingdom on behalf of Isle of Jersey over certain offences he was accused of.
Bagudu allegedly forfeited funds and corporate entities in the forfeiture proceedings instituted against him in the aftermath of the extradition suit instituted against him at the USA District Court of Columbia.
The plaintiffs had claimed that despite these facts, Bagudu had falsely claimed that the Form CF.001 that he was not under any conviction, fine or sentence for dishonesty and fraud imposed by a court or tribunal.
The plaintiffs claimed that under section 31(6) of the Electoral Act, Bagudu, having allegedly lied on oath in the form, was not qualified to contest the 2015 governorship election.
They prayed the court to cancel the certificate of return issued to him by INEC which declared him winner of the 2015 poll and then order Sarki-Yaki who was the runner-up in the election to be sworn in his stead. – Punch
– Jun. 29, 2018 @ 17:09 GMT |
Tags: Court dismisses ex-PDP candidate’s suit against Kebbi governor
