6th February, 2023
The Supreme Court on Monday declared Senate President, Ahmad Lawan as the Senatorial candidate of the APC for Yobe North Senatorial District.
The apex court, in its judgement nullified the election of Bashir Machina as the candidate of the party for Yobe North.
The Court, in the majority judgment voided and set aside the judgments of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal which affirmed Machina as the APC candidate having won the May 28, 2022.
Justice Centus Chima Nweze, delivered the majority judgement on Monday.
He said Machina ought to begin his case at the Federal High Court with Writ of summons in view of grievous allegations in his suit against the defendants.
He argued that Machina adopted originating summons to invoke his case at the Federal High Court, which ought not to be.
Nweze asserted that hostile issues involved in Machina’s matter could not be resolved through originating summons.
The Federal High Court in Damaturu had ordered the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Machina as the senatorial candidate for Yobe North.
Also, a three-member panel led by Justice Monica Dagban-Mensah of the Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the ruling and affirmed the nomination of Machina as the authentic candidate of the APC for the senatorial district.