S’Court declares Senate President Lawan Yobe North APC senatorial candidate
The Supreme Court has upheld Senate President Ahmed Lawan’s Appeal as the authentic candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Yobe North Senatorial District.
The apex court has therefore sacked Mr Bashir Machina, who was earlier recognised by the Court of Appeal in Abuja and the Federal High Court in Damaturu
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Centus Nweze, faulted the approach of Bashir Machina in commencing the suit at the Federal High Court Damaturu Division through an originating summons and without oral evidence to prove the allegations of fraud.
It would be recalled that the Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu had ordered the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Machina as the senatorial candidate for Yobe North.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Fadimatu Aminu, directed the APC to submit Machina’s name to INEC as the rightful winner of the party’s May 28 primary election in the district.
Also, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal in Abuja led by its President, Justice Monica Dagban-Mensah, upheld the High Court’s ruling and affirmed the nomination of Machina as the authentic candidate of the APC for the senatorial district.
The appellate court observed that the APC argued its case and that of Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in its brief, but failed to make him a co-appellant, instead of being the 2nd respondent.
Lawan had contested and lost the APC presidential primary in May 2022 to Sen Bola Tinubu, who later emerged as the APC presidential candidate.
Although, the senate president did not take part in the Yobe North senatorial primary, the party had sent his name to INEC as its candidate but the electoral body refused to recognise him.
Machina, who won the primary, had resisted pressure to step down for Lawan and headed for the court to seek justice.
