Court Reserves Ruling On Suit Challenging Namadi’s Nomination As APC Governorship Candidate

By Mohammed Abubakar, Dutse

A Federal High Court in Dutse, Jigawa state on Tuesday reserved till further notice to rule in a suit challenging the nomination of the Jigawa state deputy governor, Umar Namadi as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 general elections.

Justice Hassan Dikko the presiding judge, after listening to the lawyers representing all the parties in the case, who addressed the court at the resumed hearing adjourned to a date to be communicated to all the parties.

The high court had earlier fixed Tuesday, 16 and Wednesday 17 of this month for judgement, but Justice Dikko further adjourned the court verdict till further notice.

In the suit, Farouk Adamu Aliyu, a one-time minority leader of the House of Representatives and one of the governorship aspirants of the party during the last May party primaries, through his lawyers, contended that the exercise, which produced Namadi as the flag bearer was not in compliance with the relevant sections of the Electoral Act, 2022 as amended.

He therefore, urged the court to quash the primaries and make a declaration that the nomination of Namadi as the governorship candidate was in flagrant violation of the relevant sections of the Electoral Act of 2022 as amended.

Besides, Aliyu also asked the court to compel the party (APC) to pay him N50 million nomination form fee back and to pay him N500 million damages.

The APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) were the 2nd and 3rd defendants in the suit

However, lawyers to governorship candidate, who is to the 1st respondent, the APC and INEC urged the court to dismiss the suit on the ground of lack of jurisdiction.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the court sitting the leading counsel to Aliyu, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN said “we were in court saying the nomination of the APC governorship candidate nomination was wrong, it failed to comply with the constitution of the party and it failed to comply with the party’s notice and how the primaries should be conducted”.

Ikpeazu, who was represented by another senior advocate of Nigeria, Dele Adesina said, “the law is very clear, we have established in our opinion to the satisfaction of the court on the wrongful of the nomination and when the court find with us it has to set aside the nomination, that is what the law says”.

Also speaking, in one the lead counsels to the 2nd respondent, Yakubu Abdullahi Ruba SAN said the court has listened to all the parties and adjourned the sitting for judgement on the day to be communicated latter.

Ruba said “the today’s sittings had witnessed high dignitaries and high profile lawyers that in the history of the state never recorded.

Aliyu aspired for the position of governorship under the ruling APC and participated in the party’s primary election in Jigawa state in May this year.