S’Court Declares Lawan As Yobe APC Senatorial Candidate

The Supreme Court has declared Senate President Ahmed Lawan as the official APC candidate for Yobe North.
In a judgement delivered on Monday, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by the APC against Bashir Machina’s candidature.
The apex court had last Wednesday fixed today (Monday), February 6, for final judgement.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Supreme Court has affirmed the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, as the All Progressives Congress senatorial candidate for Yobe North.

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In a majority judgment delivered on Monday, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by the APC against Bashir Machina’s candidature.

In the lead judgement, Justice Centus Nweze faulted the approach of Machina in commencing the suit at the Federal High Court Damaturu division by way of originating summons and without oral evidence to prove allegations of fraud.

In the majority decision, the apex court also set aside the decision of the Appeal Court, Gombe Division, which affirmed the decision of the trial court that declared Machina the Senatorial Candidate for Yobe North.

But in a dissenting decision by Justices Emmanuel Agim and Adamu Jauro, the Supreme Court said Lawan never participated in the APC primary held on 28 May, as he withdrew voluntarily to participate in the presidential primary held on 8 June 2022.

The minority decision held that the conduct of another primary on June 9, 2022, where Lawan emerged was in breach of Section 84 (5) of the Electoral Act as the APC never cancelled that held on 28 May before organising another.