Hon. Muktar Umar Yarima, New Nigeria Peoples Party’s (NNPP) member representing Tarauni Federal Constituency, has been sacked by the National and State House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano, on Thursday over certificate forgery.
The three-man Tribunal panel ruled that the primary school certificate tendered by the respondent, Yarima was forged and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the All Progressives Congress (APC) Candidiate, Honourable Hafizu Ibrahim Kawu as the winner of the election and issue him with a Certificate of Return immediately.
It will be recalled that, Garba Galadanchi, the returning officer for Tarauni Federal Constituency in the general elections, had declared Yarima of NNPP as the winner of the Tarauni parliamentary election after scoring 26,273 votes, defeating Kawu of the APC, who scored 15,931 votes.
But Kawu, a one time member, seeking re-election in the 2023 polls had approached the tribunal and challenged Yarima’s victory on the grounds of forged certificate and cases of irregularities including over-voting and non-compliance with the electoral act.
