Court nullifies Taraba APC guber primary, orders fresh election

The Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, Taraba State capital, yesterday, nullified the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The election had thrown up the incumbent senator for Taraba South, Emmanuel Bwacha, as the party’s candidate. Displeased with the outcome, however, David Sabo Kente, who also jostled for the position, had dragged the candidate to court, affirming no primary was held in the state. In his verdict, the presiding judge, Simon Amobeda, urged Bwacha to desist from parading himself as the party’s governorship flag bearer. He also beckoned to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return earlier issued to Bwacha and cease recognising him as a candidate. He further asked the party to conduct a fresh primary within two weeks from the day of the judgment, stressing also that the 2022 Electoral Act must be strictly adhered to. “There was no APC governorship election in the state. There was no evidence to show that due process was followed,” the judge said. Asked to comment, counsel to Bwacha, Festus Idepefor, said he would reach out to the candidate whether he would be interested in appealing the judgment. THIS came as APC National Vice Chairman (North West), Salihu Lukman, enjoined INEC to guard against any move by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to interfere with the conduct of the 2023 poll. Lukman, in a statement in Abuja, described the decision by the Federal High Court in Gusau, which nullified the PDP governorship primary in the state, as a clear sign the opposition party is not willing to play by the rules in the general elections. Lukman said it behoves INEC and all patriotic Nigerians, especially APC leaders in the North West, to be vigilant and stop PDP from imposing its ‘candidates’ as winners. He said: “By its conduct, PDP is only working to win the 2023 elections through rigging. A party that manages its internal contests, in breach of its own rules, can only win elections by unfair and illegal means. “Therefore, in addition to delisting PDP and its 2023 governorship candidate for Zamfara State, as directed by the order of the Federal High Court, Gusau (Friday, September 16, 2022), INEC must take every step to ensure PDP’s conduct of disrespect for its own rules is not allowed to pollute the 2023 elections.”

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John Ojoagbene

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Court nullifies Taraba APC guber primary, orders fresh election

John Ojoagbene

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