The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved judgment in an appeal in respect of the All Progressives Congress’ Yobe North Senatorial District.
President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen, who presided over a 3-man panel, reserved judgement after taking arguments from parties in the matter.
By the appeal, Senate President Ahmed Lawan is challenging the decision of Justice Fadimatu Aminu of the Federal High Court, Damaturu, which had on September 28, this year, declared Bashir Machina as the authentic senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Yobe North.
Machina won the primary election organised by the APC in May 2022, while Lawan opted to contest the presidential primary election organised by the APC in June.
Lawan lost the APC presidential ticket to former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu. However, Machina was asked to step down for Lawan but he insisted that he would not withdraw for the Senate President.
In the face of the controversy, the APC submitted the Senate President’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission as its senatorial candidate for Yobe North.
Miffed by the development, Machina headed to the court to seek redress.
Specifically, Machina in his suit, asked the court to declare him as the validly elected senatorial candidate of the APC for the 2023 election.
Justice Aminu had nullified the parallel primary election that produced Lawan on June 9, 2022.
Consequently, the trial judge ordered the APC to forward the name of Machina to INEC as the authentic winner of the primary held in May.
RN
