The Court of Appeal in Abuja has sacked Abubakar Suleiman, the speaker of the Bauchi state House of Assembly.
The appellate court in its judgment on Friday, ordered a rerun in 10 polling units in the constituency following an appeal filed by Khalid Abdulmalik-Ningi of the All Progressive Congress.
It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission had declared the Speaker, the winner of the Ningi Central Constituency election held on March 18.
But not satisfied with INEC’s declaration of the results of the election, Abdulmalik-Ningi, approached the Governorship and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in the State to seek redress.
However, the Tribunal dismissed his case and affirmed the victory of Suleiman for a second term in office.
Also not satisfied with the judgment, the APC candidate went to the Court of Appeal to challenge the tribunal’s ruling.
In its judgment, the appellate court’s three-man panel, set aside the judgment of the tribunal and ordered for a rerun.
Reaching to the development, Suleiman said he was undeterred by the judgment.
In a statement issued and made available to journalists, Suleiman boasted that the support and solidarity he has been enjoying in Ningi remains intact adding that no amount of effort to pull him down will succeed.
While describing the judgment as a minor political setback which is not new in his political career, the Speaker said that he is ever ready for the rerun election
He boasted of adding to the almost two thousand votes margin he gave his opponent.