After a lengthy 27-month legal battle, Hon. Shehu Dalhatu Tafoki has emerged victorious, securing his position as the rightful winner of the Faskari/Kankara/Sabuwa federal constituency seat in the 2023 general elections.
The legal dispute began in June 2022 as a pre-election matter and concluded this week with the Court of Appeal in Abuja ruling in favor of Tafoki.
The conflict originated when Hon. Murtala Isah Kankara challenged Tafoki’s candidacy in the Federal High Court, questioning his eligibility as the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer. The Supreme Court ultimately resolved this legal challenge by affirming Tafoki as the legitimate candidate for the constituency.
Following the 2023 general elections, Jamilu Mohammed, the candidate from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was initially declared the winner by a narrow margin of just over 800 votes. Hon. Tafoki contested this result, arguing before the election petition tribunal that elections had not taken place in 20 polling units across two local government areas, representing over 10,000 registered voters.
The tribunal ruled in Tafoki’s favor, declaring the election inconclusive and ordering a rerun in the disputed polling units. The PDP candidate appealed this decision, but the Court of Appeal upheld the tribunal’s ruling, facilitating the rerun. After the supplementary election, Hon. Tafoki was declared the winner.
Unfazed, the PDP candidate filed another petition with the tribunal, contesting Tafoki’s victory in the rerun. However, the tribunal dismissed this petition, citing a lack of merit due to the plaintiffs’ failure to provide sufficient evidence for their claims.
The PDP subsequently escalated the case to the Court of Appeal in Abuja, where a panel of three justices — Hamma Akawu Barka, Jumbo-Ofor, and Samuel Admola Bola — upheld the tribunal’s decision in favor of Tafoki.
Tafoki’s colleagues in the national assembly, his party leadership in the state, and his constituents have celebrated his hard-fought victory.
In response to the final judgment, Hon. Tafoki expressed his gratitude to God and thanked Katsina State Governor Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda for his unwavering support. He also committed to focusing on his legislative responsibilities, promising to exceed his previous achievements as Deputy Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly. He prayed for divine intervention to combat the issues of banditry and other criminal activities affecting his constituency, Katsina State, and the country as a whole.
