Appeal Court affirms Ndume, Lawan as validly elected senators

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, yesterday, affirmed the election of Mohammed  Ndume and  Kaka  Lawan of Borno South and Central Senatorial districts respectively.

The three-member panel, presided by Justice Biobele Georgewill, held that the appeals against the lawmakers lacked merit.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the duo winners of the National Assembly election into the two senatorial districts.

Dissatisfied with the declaration, Muhammed Kumalia and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenged the election of Lawan while Kudla Satumari and PDP filed petition against Ndume at the state’s election tribunal.

The Borno National and State’s Election Petition Tribunal dismissed the two petitions. Not satisfied with the judgments of the tribunal, Kumalia and Satumari lodged appeals before the Court of Appeal in appeal number: CA/G/EP/SEN/BR/7/2023 between Mohammed Umara Kumalia & another Vs. Kaka Shehu Lawan and others, and appeal number: CA/G/EP/SEN/BR/04/2023 between Kula Satumari & another Vs. INEC and others.

While Yusuf Ali represented Kaka Shehu and APC, Johnson Usman appeared for INEC and Marcel Oru represented Ndume in the two appeals.

The lawyers urged the court to dismiss the appeals for lacking in merit.

Delivering the judgments, the Court of Appeal upheld the submissions of the  counsel to the respondents that the two appeals lacked merit and dismissed same while affirming the election of Lawan and Ndume.