Tobias Sylvester
A Federal High Court in Jalingo has nullified the governorship primary elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that produced Senator Emmanuel Bwacha as the party’s candidate for the 2023 general elections.
Court Orders Fresh APC Guber Primaries In Taraba
An aggrieved aspirant, Chief David Kente had approached the court to challenge the conduct of the primaries and prayed the Court to order a fresh election among other prayers.
In his ruling on Tuesday, the presiding Judge, Justice Simon Amobeda nullified the election and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh governorship primary in the state within 14 days.
The court also ordered Bwacha to stop parading himself as the governorship candidate of the APC, as well as INEC to stop recognising Bwacha as a candidate immediately.
Justice Amobeda held that the defendant could not convince the court that there was a primary election through which he emerged as the APC flag bearer and urged the INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Bwacha.
Reacting to the judgement, theccounsel to Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, Barrister Ibrahim Iffiong, SAN, said that he will study the judgement and consult with his client to decide if they will proceed on Appeal.
Similarly, the counsel to the APC, Barrister Festus Idepefo, SAN, also said he will consult with his client after studying the judgement to decide the next line of action.
However, Kente on his part has described the ruling of the court as a land mark as it proves that the era of impunity is over.
He said that the evidence before the court which influenced the decision have vindicated his position and that of most of the party supporters in the state that indeed there was no primaries and urged the party faithful to remain calm.
KanyiDaily recalls that the court had also nullified the election that produced Dauda Lawal as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State.
