Musa Na Allah Sokoto
The Court of Appeal Sokoto sitting in Sokoto has on Wednesday struck out the appeal suit filed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Zamfara state governorship candidate, Alhaji Lawal Dare, and others for lack of merit.
Other appellants in the suit were Adamu Maina-Waziri, Chairman primary election committee, and retired Col. Bala Mande.
The PDP governorship Primary was held on May 25 2022 and produced Dr. Dauda Lawal-Dare as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections in the state.
The Presiding Judge, Justice M.L. Shu’aibu who read the unanimous judgment on behalf of two other judges dismissed their entire suit for lacking merits and described it as a mere academic exercise.
Shu’aibu had dismissed the preliminary objections as it was the bedrock of any judicial statute and constitution as well as awarded N100,000 cost against the appellants before he digested the substance suit.
The respondents were Dr. Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau, Alhaji Wadatau Madawaki, Hafiz Nahuche, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Judge Shu’aibu upheld the decision of the Federal High Court Zamfara that nullified the May 25 2022 PDP’s primary election which produced Dare as governorship candidate over substantive irregularities.
He said the appellants had complied with the lower court judgment delivered by Justice Aminu Bappah-Aliyu and participated in the ordered fresh primary election which was conducted on September 23 2022
He further said participating in the fresh primary election testimonies of witnesses and documents submitted as exhibits, the appellants had agreed with the violation of electoral acts as well as stipulated PDP guidelines.
The Appeal Court Judge said he perused all the arguments presented by different Counsels, citations of court judgments, and other judicial considerations and arrived at the decision, thereby dismissing the suit based on lack of merits and upholding the lower court judgment.
