Appeal Court Nullifies Zamfara APC Primaries For Governorship, Assembly Elections

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The Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto, led by Justice Tom Yakubu, has set aside the judgement of a Zamfara High Court on the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries that produced the party’s candidates for governorship, National and State Assembly elections.

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Sokoto State, has set aside judgement of the Zamfara High Court which paved way for the All Progressives Congress, APC, to field candidates in the 2019 general elections.

Daily Trust reports that, The Presiding Judge, Justice Tom Shuaibu Yakubu, while delivering the lead judgement, averred that the lower court did not properly evaluate and assess all the evidences put before it before making its judgement.

According to him, after reevaluation and reassessment of the evidences by the appellant court, it was discovered that the party did not follow the provision of the Electoral Act and the guidelines provided by the party in selecting its candidates.

The judge held that the party had made two unsuccessful attempts to conduct primaries in the state and list of candidates were not duly submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by the national headquarter of the party as promised by the national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomole.

“I hereby, set aside the judgement of the lower court which allowed the party to field candidates in the last general elections,” he said.

He added: “I believe this will serve as a very bitter lesson for political parties to learn. They must abide by the provision of the electoral act which provide level play ground for all aspirants.”

This latest judgement was a major setback for Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar who was accused to have manipulated his way and his anointed candidates to emerge against all odds. By the judgement, it means the Governor-elect Mukthar Koguna, Gov Yari who controversially won his Senate seat and all others involved are no longer eligible to retain their seats.

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