14th November, 2011
Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna has declared the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP candidate,former Kaduna State Governor and immediate past senator representing Kaduna North senatorial constituency, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi as winner of April 28 polls in the state
Makarfi had filed a petition challenging the victory of Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed of the Congress of Progressive Change,CPC.
Makarfi in the petition accused CPC of gross rigging and therefore asked the tribunal to recount the ballot papers .
The court granted the request and a recount was carried out. After sorting of the ballot papers and final counting Makarfi polled 364,801 while Datti of CPC polled 356,579 votes.
It was against this background that the court declared Makarfi, the PDP candidate , as the winner.
The presiding judge,Daniel Kalio while reading the judgement at Kawo court said the tribunal has the power to deduct from the collated results as the ballot papers used in the recount were genuine papers from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The three-man panel of judges unanimously agreed on the five hour judgement delivered by Justice Kalio.
Makarfi told newsmen at his Sambo Close Kaduna residence that his victory was well deserved , having won the election initially.
But counsel to CPC and Senator Datti, Bala Usman told P.M.News shortly after the judgement was delivered said his client would appeal.
 By Femi Adi/Kaduna