The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finally issued a certificate of return to Gwani Muhammad Alkali of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) for Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency of the Plateau state.
This comes after a judgement by a court of appeal declaring Alkali as the legitimate winner of the state’s February 2022 by-elections, having scored the highest number of legitimate votes against his closest rival Musa Agah of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
READ: PRP Candidate Kicks Jos/Bassa Bye-Election Result, Heads To Tribunal
Hitherto, INEC Returning Officer, Yinka Oyerinde declared Agah the winner of the election, the declaration the member kicked and vowed to reclaim his “subverted” victory in the court. Alkali insisted that he won the election with a majority of lawful votes cast against the declared winner.
WikkiTimes had earlier reported that Alkali had been declared the winner by the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.
READ: Plateau By-Election: PRP’s Alkali Reclaims Mandate, As Tribunal Strips PDP’s Agah
Justice Hope O. Ozoh. Khadi Usman Umar, and Justice Zainab M. Bashir, in their verdict, ruled that the petitioners proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt, and declared Alkali the winner of the polls. The court also reversed the certificate of return earlier issued to Agah by INEC.
Alkali clinched the certificate yesterday and would be officially sworn in after the return of the National Assembly from oversight recess.
