| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa Subsaharan |
| 'Drug kingpin' Nigerian senator loses seat |
| 2015-10-11 |
| [AA.TR] A Nigerian senator wanted in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges lost his seat Friday following a tribunal ruling that his election was flawed. Buruji Kashamu will no longer represent the southwest Ogun East senatorial district in the country's upper legislative house. The election tribunal in its decision held at least 37,008 of the total 99,540 votes credited to Kashamu in the country's March 28 parliamentary election as invalid because of irregularities committed during the exercise. The court then ordered that a rerun ballot be held in 110 polling units in Kashamu's Ogun east senatorial district within 90 days. Kashamu, who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, now had 75,856 lawful votes compared to his closest rival Dapo Abiodun of the ruling All Progressive Congress, whose votes the court said stood at 70,677. Justice Tobi Ebimowei, chairman of the tribunal, said that Kashamu could not be declared a winner with just 5,179 margin votes. The ruling is subject to appeal. Kashamu is wanted in the United States on alleged drug trafficking charges related to a 1998 case. A local court has restrained the government from extraditing him as requested by Washington. |
| Posted by:Fred |