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Appeal Court upholds judgment sacking all PDP candidates in Zamfara

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2 years ago

November 23, 2022

Fahuyost (ANE Staff)

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The Court of Appeal Sokoto, Division, on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, delivered judgment in an appeal filed by the Zamfara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) and its candidate, Dauda Lawal Dare.

This was contained in a statement signed and issued to newsmen in Gusau, the state capital by the State Commissioner of Information, Hon. Ibrahim Magaji Dosara.

What the statement said: According to the statement, the appeal was against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Gusau delivered on 16/9/2022, which nullified the governorship primary election of the party for non-compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act 2022 and PDP guidelines for conduct of primary election.

“In a unanimous decision by the 3 Justices of the Court of Appeal, Justice M L Shuaibu JCA, the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal Sokoto Division, who delivered the Judgment, held that the appeal is an academic exercise.

“The appeal was, therefore, dismissed with a cost of ₦100,000.00 against the appellants,” the statement added.

Background: The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PDP Governorship Primary in the state held on May 25, produced Dr Dauda Lawal-Dare, as the Party governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections in the state.

NAN reports that Dr Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau, a PDP Governorship Aspirant, was seeking the nullification of the primary election over alleged irregularities.

The primary election was conducted by the committee sent from the PDP National Headquarters Abuja, led by Alhaji Adamu Maina-Waziri.

The defendants were the PDP, Maina-Waziri, (Chairman Zamfara PDP Governorship Primary Election Committee sent from PDP Headquarters Abuja) and retired Col. Bala Mande (State PDP, Chairman).

Others are Lawal-Dare, PDP Governorship candidate and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).Recall that in September this year, the court nullified the election of Lawal-Dare following a suit filed before it by Ibrahim Shehu and two other aspirants challenging the credibility of the primary.

The court ordered a re-run election where Lawal-Dare also re-emerged as the winner but his opponent, Ibrahim Shehu, went to court again to challenge the election.