Again, Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, has lost big in his bid to retain his candidature for the Yobe North Senatorial District in next year’s general elections.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja, Monday, affirmed Hon. Bashir Machina as the authentic candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Yobe North Senatorial District.
Presidential and National Assembly selections will hold on February 25, 2023.
In a unanimous decision, the appellate court thrashed Lawan’s appeal against the judgment of a Federal High Court in Damaturu, Yobe State, which sacked him as APC candidate for the crucial vote.
Delivering judgment, President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, agreed with the trial court that Lawan did not participate in the May 28, 2022 primary which was supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and which is validly recognised as the authentic primary for the selection of the party’s candidate.
The three-member panel of the appellate court further declared as invalid the primary election conducted by the APC on June 9, 2022, which produced the Senate President, describing it as a breach of the constitution.
The judgment noted that contrary to the provisions of the law, INEC did monitor the June 9, 2022 primary that produced Lawan.
The APC had approached the appellate court for an order setting aside the judgment of the Federal High Court in Damaturu, Yobe State, and another order declaring Lawan as its candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District election.
However, Justice Dongban-mensem held that: “The appeal is unmeritorious as it fails in its entirety”, adding that the appellant (APC) should pay the sum of N1 million to Machina as cost.
Machina had emerged victorious at the party’s primary election for the senatorial ticket, while the Senate President lost the presidential ticket to former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu.
However, the party conducted a fresh primary for the Yobe North Senatorial seat on June 9, which was won by Lawan and his name subsequently forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the candidate of the APC for the said senatorial district election, an action which resulted in the current litigation.
But INEC refused to accept the Lawan’s nomination as APC’s candidate in the vote.
Machina emerged winner of the primary election organised by the APC in May this year.
In September, the Senate President promised not to appeal the judgment of Justice Fadimatu Aminu of the Federal High Court, Damaturu, which had on September 28, 2022.
