Justice Nehizina Idumudia-Afolabi of the Federal High Court Lafia, Nasarawa State yesterday adjourned till July 22, a suit seeking to upturn the APC senatorial primaries that produced Arch Shehu Tukur as candidate for Nasarawa West in the 2023 election.
Barrister Labaran Shaibu Magaji, a senatorial aspirant of the APC, Nasarawa West senatorial zone, had filed a suit challenging the outcome of the senatorial primary election held on June 4, 2022 which produced Arc. Shehu Tukur as candidate of the party.
Justice Nehizina Idumudia-Afolabi, who is the presiding judge, said the case was adjourned to July 22, 2022 due to the delay in submission of memorandum of appearance before the court by the defendant.
Delivering her judgement, she, however, warned both counsels not to take the rule of the court for granted and avoid grand standing and playing to the gallery so as to save time, since it is a pre-election matter.
The suit, number FHC/LA/11/2022 against the national secretariat of the party and ten others, is contesting their involvement in the primary election for Nasarawa West, which was alleged to be marred by irregularities including participation of fake delegates.
In an interview with our correspondent shortly after the adjournment, the defense counsel to the APC, Oboshi Ogu, said he pleaded with the presiding judge to adjourn the matter to enable them intensify effort to access some documents.
The defendants in the case, The Nation gathered, are Arc.Shehu Tukur, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), State and National Chairmen of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as Senator Abdullahi Abbas, Alh. Yakubu Mohammed Soja, Mr Yusuf Adamu Auta, Major General AT Jibrin (rtd) and princess Miriam Onuoha.
Also speaking to our correspondent, the counsel to the plaintiff, Barrister Gali Umar-Ahmed, said they are challenging the authenticity of 125 fake delegates from Keffi and Nasarawa LGAs and appealing to the court to expunge their votes from the total of 179 votes recorded.
He argued further that any congress to elect delegates pursuant to article 13.13 (III) of the APC constitution (as) amended 26 March, 2022) could only produce one delegate list for the purpose of any primary election to nominate a senatorial candidate pursuant to paragraph 22(11)(A/ of the guidelines for the nomination of candidates for the 2023 general election.
An appeal committee of the party had recommended that a new primary election should be conducted or in the event of time constraint, he Labaran Shaibu Magaji, should be declared the winner of the primary election based on the genuine facts and figures he presented before the committee.
Credit : THE NATION.
