Delay In Flight Stall Legal Battle In FHC Lafia As Court Adjourns Case To September 7 For Hearing
El Yakuq, Ibraheem
The Federal High Court sitting in Lafia has adjourned the case between Bar Labaran Magaji and Arc Ahmed Shehu Tukur of the All Progressives Congress to September 7th for a hearing due to the absence of the presiding Judge.
In an interview with Journalists shortly after the adjournment, the lead counsel to the Arc Ahmed Shehu Tukur, Mubarak Adekulenku said, “I am satisfied with the developments due to the absence of the presiding judge, Justice Nehizina Idumodia Afolabi was in Lagos due to delay in flight.
In suit number FHC/LF/11/2022, you would recall that Bar Labaran Magaji is challenging the emergence of Arc Shehu Ahmed Tukur as well against the national secretariat of the party and ten others contesting their involvement in the primary election for Nasarawa West was allegedly marred by irregularities ranging from a list of fake delegates.
The lead counsel to the plaintiff, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ahmed Raji said the absence of the judge, Justice Afolabi was due to a delay in flight.
The grounds of appeal of the aspirant are twofold; contesting the credibility of the nomination process and multiplicity of delegates lists in Nasarawa and Keffi Local Governments.
He buttressed his claim with facts, copies of which were attached herewith as annexure ‘C’ and marked by him as exhibits A1 and B1. He further pleaded for the invalidation of the outcome of the results of the two Local Governments mentioned above as it has run counter to the provisions of the party’s guidelines and constitution.
His prayers include voiding the election as the list used for the election is illegal and declaring him as the winner after the results of Nasarawa and Keffi were nullified.
These grievances are indeed heavy and worth considering subject to a thorough investigation of the cause of these anomalies. The party must always take cognizance of these anomalies. The party must always take cognizance of the fact that its actions must be in strict compliance with the injunctions of the extant laws of the Nation and the party.
The committee wishes to proffer the following recommendations; as a matter of urgency, the National Working Committee (NWC) should constitute a special committee to investigate the alarming cases of alteration of delegate lists, particularly those reported in this submission, according to the recommendation of the committee.
If the NWC has established beyond reasonable doubt that the original delegates list has been tampered with, appropriate action, including a repeat of the election process should be ordered to avert any regrettable consequences.
The NWC can as well determine the claims of the appellants and grant their prayers in the event of the constraint of time that the statutory time for filing this action is of the essence hence the plaintiff brought this action.
Bar Labaran Magaji said the adjournment was not deliberate but the will of God as the Judge is human and such is bound to happen.
He added that he approached the federal high court to seek justice and that justice will never be compromised in this case concerned.
