JUST IN: Tribunal sacks Kogi East senator, Jibrin Isah, orders rerun

The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State has sacked Senator Jibrin Isah, popularly known as Echocho, the lawmaker representing Kogi East senatorial district in the National Assembly.

The tribunal consequently ordered a rerun of the senatorial election that was declared to have been won by Isah – an ally of Governor Yahaya Bello – in 155 polling units in Kogi East.

The rerun will be contested between Isah of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Dr. Victor Adoji, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In January, Isah was reportedly booed by hundreds of youths during a campaign rally in the Ankpa Local Government Area of the state.

Isah, who was the incumbent senator representing the district had attended a campaign rally along with Edward Onoja, the state deputy governor and the House of Representatives candidate for Ankpa Federal Constituency in the state.

Some of the constituents reportedly asked Isah to return to Governor Bello, to whom he had allegedly attributed his victory in the 2019 election.

He, however, denied that he was booed, saying his campaign tour was successful.

Recently, Isah was seen in a viral video kneeling before Governor Bello to thank him for nominating Shaibu Abubakar-Audu, son of the late Abubakar Audu for a ministerial position.

In the video, Bello told the lawmaker that Abubakar-Audu’s nomination was to reward his late father for his sacrifice.

“For all the sacrifices, I am rewarding Prince Abubakar Audu, for all his sacrifices too (probably referring to Shaibu who was not visible in the video), I no loss, I gain plenty.

“To God be the glory!” Bello said.

“You’re over-rewarding us,” Isah told the governor.