Tribunal orders rerun, declares female lawmaker election inconclusive

The election of Miss Rukayat Shittu of the All Progressives Congress was deemed inconclusive by the Election Petition Tribunal on Saturday in Ilorin, Kwara State, and a rerun was mandated in some polling places.

The Owode-Onire constituency of Asa Local Government is represented by a 26-year-old woman in the state House of Assembly.

In the House of Assembly election on March 18, Rukayat was named the victor by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Abdullahi Yinusa Magaji, a candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, has petitioned the tribunal to challenge her victory.

The lead judge on the three-person tribunal, Justice Ademola Enikuomehin, ordered a rerun in five of the constituency's voting units.

“The petitioners failed in 12 among the contested polling units while five have been proved. The results so far released are hereby cancelled and the election inconclusive.

“In sum, the petition succeeded in parts, and in consequence, I hereby order a rerun of the election in the above polling units to be conducted within 90 days,” the judge submitted.

Shittu after the victory in the March election made headlines as arguably the youngest lawmaker in the country.

Source