Tribunal declares election of Kwara youngest lawmaker inconclusive

The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Saturday ordered a rerun in the constituency of Miss Rukayat Shittu, the youngest female lawmaker in the state. Shittu is a member of the All Progressives Congress.

The 26-year-old female legislator represents Owode-Onire constituency of Asa Local Government Area in the state House of Assembly.

Rukayat was declared winner of the March 18, 2023 State House of Assembly Election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The PDP candidate, Abdullahi Yinusa Magaji, had filed a petition challenging her victory at the tribunal.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Ademola Enikuomehin, a member of the three-man panel, a rerun was ordered in five polling units of the constituency.

The judge said, “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.”

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