In A Split Judgement, Supreme Court Sacks Machina, Affirms Lawan As Yobe North Senatorial Candidate For APC

By Akinwale Kasali

After months of legal warfare, the Supreme Court has affirmed that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, is the authentic Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for Yobe North Senatorial District.

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 Bashir 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.

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 apex Court said Ahmad Lawan never participated in the APC Primary held on 28th May, as he withdrew voluntarily to participate in the Presidential Primary held on the 8 June 2022.the

The minority decision held that in 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 organizing another.

The APC had challenged the nomination of Bashir Machina as the party’s candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District.

The party insisted that Ahmad Lawan, Nigeria’s Senate President, was the authentic Senatorial candidate for Yobe North for the forthcoming general election.

At the last hearing of the appeal, the counsel for the party, Sepiribo Peters argued that the primary election held on 28 May last year which produced Machina was in breach of the Electoral Act 2022.

Peters contended that one Danjuma Manga who conducted the said primary election was not nominated by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

He told the Court that the APC cancelled the Primary poll on account of the irregularities observed during the exercise.

However, Machina’s lawyer, Sarafa Yusuf prayed the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit on the ground that the Senate President did not challenge the suits at both the trial and lower courts.

He also pointed that Manga who conducted the primary election where Machina emerged, was a member of the NWC-appointed Committee to carryout the exercise.

The apex court had last Wednesday fixed today (Monday), February 6, for final judgment in the long-drawn legal battle.

Machina had held firmly to his victory at the APC Primaries and refused all appeals to let go.