The tribunal declared the February 25 election void because Idris Dankawu presented a forged WAEC certificate.
A member of the New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP) in the House of Representatives, Rep. Idris Dankawu, has been sacked by the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Kano over certificate forgery.
Rep. Dankawu was declared the winner of the February 25 election to represent Kumbotso Federal Constituency of Kano State in the House of Representatives.
However, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the contest, and former lawmaker, Hon. Munir Baba Danagundi, filed a petition alleging that Dankawu presented a fake Secondary School Certificate for the purpose of admission into Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Kaduna. The said certificate was the same Dankawu submitted for the National Assembly election.
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Chairman of the tribunal, Justice I.P. Chima, in his verdict, declared: “Idris Dankawu of NNPP has forged his WAEC certificate,” and as a result, the election was voided.
The tribunal also instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to set aside the Certificate of Return erroneously awarded to Dankawu and declared Danagudi as the winner of the Kumbotso Federal Constituency poll which took place on February 25, 2023.
“Having satisfied the provision of the law, we hereby declare and return Munir Babba Danagudi as the winner of the Kumbotso Federal House of Representatives Election,” Justice Chima declared. Rep. Dankawu is the second NNPP lawmaker to be sacked by a tribunal.
Recall that Rep. Yusuf Umar Datti, also of NNPP, was sacked as the representative for Kura/Madobi/Garun Malam Federal Constituency for failure to resign from Bayero University, Kano, thirty (30) days before the conduct of elections as stipulated by the law.
