APC: Supreme Court fixes date to rule on suit against Ahmad Lawan’s senatorial candidacy
The Supreme Court on Wednesday fixed February 6 for final judgment in the long-drawn legal battle over the authenticity of the Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC for Yobe North Senatorial District.
Entangled in the legal battle for the Senatorial ticket are the incumbent Senate President, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan and one Bashir Sheriff Machina.
The Apex Court fixed the judgment date after taking arguments from counsel for the All Progressives Congress APC and Bashir Sheriff Machina.
Justice Centus Chima Nweze who presided over a 5-man panel of Justices of the Court fixed the date.
APC which is routing for Senate President, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan as its Senatorial candidate filed the appeal against the judgments of the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal which held Bashir Sheriff Machina as the party’s candidate.
In its arguments presented by Sepiribo Cromwell Peters, APC claimed that the primary election conducted on May 27, 2022, which produced Bashir Sheriff Machina is unknown to law because it was conducted by unlawful people.
He claimed that another primary election conducted on June 6 which produced the Senate’s President, Ahmad Lawan is the authentic election of the party.
However, Mr Sarafa Yusuff, counsel to Bashir Sheriff Machina asked the Apex Court to dismiss the APC’S appeal for being frivolous and baseless.
He informed the Supreme Court that Danjuma Manga Committee set up by the APC conducted the primary election on behalf of the National Working Committee of the APC.
Yusuff drew the attention of the Court to an affidavit deposed by Danjuma Manga to the effect that he was mandated along with five others by the APC National Secretariat to conduct the Senatorial primary elections in Yobe State.
The counsel argued that up till now, the affidavit of the said Danjuma Manga had not been disputed or denied by the APC and subsequently urged the Court to affirm Bashir Sheriff Machina as the authentic Senatorial candidate of APC for Yobe North Senatorial District.
