The Court of Appeal has officially declared former Katsina Deputy Speaker, Hon. Shehu Dalhatu Tafoki, the winner of the re-run for the Faskari/Kankara/Sabuwa federal constituency seat.
This decision concludes a 27-month legal battle that began in June 2022.
The dispute started when Murtala Isah Kankara challenged Tafoki’s candidacy as the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer in the Federal High Court.
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The matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, which confirmed Tafoki as the legitimate candidate for the constituency.
In the 2023 general elections, Jamilu Mohammed of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was initially declared the winner by a narrow margin of just over 800 votes.
Tafoki contested this result, arguing that elections did not occur in 20 polling units across two local government areas, which had over 10,000 registered voters.
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The election petition tribunal ruled in Tafoki’s favor, declaring the election inconclusive and ordering a rerun in the disputed units.
Although the PDP candidate appealed this decision, the Court of Appeal upheld the tribunal’s ruling. After the supplementary election, Tafoki was declared the winner.
The PDP candidate subsequently petitioned the tribunal again, challenging Tafoki’s victory. The tribunal dismissed the petition for lack of merit.
The PDP’s subsequent appeal to the Court of Appeal was also rejected, with the panel of justices—Hamma Akawu Barka, Jumbo-Ofor, and Samuel Admola Bola—upholding the tribunal’s decision in Tafoki’s favor.
Reacting to the final judgment, Tafoki expressed his gratitude to God and thanked Katsina Governor Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda for his steadfast support and encouragement.
