The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has affirmed the candidature of Senator Bashir Sheriff Machina as the authentic senatorial candidate of the APC in Yobe North Senatorial District.
The court upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu, Yobe State which held that the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, is not the APC candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District in next year’s election into the National Assembly.
Delivering judgment on the appeal filed by the President of the Senate, a three-member panel of the appellate court led by justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, held that the primary election conducted by the party on 9th June is invalid as it was in breach of the constitution.
It also held that the law mandates INEC to monitor party primaries, and that was not done in the primary elections conducted on the 9th of June 2022.
The APC had made a case at the appellant court stating that it preferred the candidature of Ahmed Lawan, but it failed to make him a co-appellant.
Writing by Oluwaseyi Ajibade; Editing by Annabel Nwachukwu