The Abuja-based Court of Appeal has affirmed Senator Sunday Marshall Katung’s victory as the legitimate winner of the Kaduna South senatorial election.
A three-member panel, led by Justice Moore A. Adumein, unanimously upheld the decision of the National/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Kaduna, which had dismissed the petition of Michael Ayuba Auta, the Labour Party (LP) candidate, deeming it lacking in merit.
The court maintained that the tribunal was correct in confirming Senator Sunday Marshall Katung’s victory from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Justice Adumein remarked, “Even a casual reading of the judgment reveals that the tribunal was very articulate and thorough in its judgment.”
“The tribunal was right when it held that Michael Ayuba Auta failed to prove that the election was invalid due to corrupt practices,” declared the court.
The court emphasized that Michael Ayuba Auta of the Labour Party failed to substantiate the criminal allegation of the unlawful allocation of votes to the winner in the February election.
In dismissing the appeal, the court imposed a fine of N600,000 against Michael Ayuba Auta in favour of Senator Sunday Marshall Katung, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the PDP.
