Court Nullifies APC Primaries in Northern State, Declares Party Cannot Field Governorship Candidate In 2023

• The APC will not field any governorship candidate in Adamawa state in the 2023 elections unless a higher court rules otherwise
• This is as the Federal High Court sitting in Yola nullified the APC primary election, which produced Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani as the guber candidate
• After losing the primary, Nuhu Ribadu, a former EFCC chairman, had dragged Binani to court, asking for a fresh election to be conducted over an allegation of overvoting

Yola Adamawa state - A Federal High Court sitting in Yola, Adamawa state, has nullified the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The primary election had produced Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani as the party's governorship candidate.

However, in his ruling on Friday, October 14, Justice Abdul-aziz Anka declared the election, which was conducted by the APC in May, null and void.

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According to Sahara Reporters, the judge also annulled the purported victory of Binani as the winner of the election.

Why was APC governorship primary in Adamawa annulled?

During the primary election, Senator Binani polled 430 votes to defeat her closest contender, Nuhu Ribadu, who scored 280 votes.

However, Justice Anka held that 51 (1 to 4) of the Electoral Act was violated as there was ‘overvoting’ in the poll exercise.

According to the judge, 50 delegates from the Lamurde local government area who ought not to have voted during the primary election were allowed to vote.

The judge added that there was no evidence that the party had conducted a Special Adhoc Delegates election there.

Adamawa 2023: Why Ribadu dragged Binani to court

Following his defeat, Ribadu, a former EFCC chairman, dragged Senator Binani to court to challenge her victory.

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He claimed that 1,009 delegates were accredited, contrary to the outcome, which indicated that a total of 1,011 votes were cast.

Ribadu, therefore, urged the court to nullify the election and order fresh conduct of another governorship primary.

Adamawa 2023: Court rules that APC cannot field any candidate

Both Ribadu and Senator Binani lost out as the court declared that APC cannot field any candidate in the 2023 election.

The court, nevertheless, said both petitioner and defendants are free to appeal the ruling, Channels TV also reported.

APC's fate in Adamawa: Nigerians react

Izu Ozuah said on Facebook:

"This is nothing to worry so much about after all the court has only saved them time and money. Certainly APC can never win Adamawa."

Jahswill Lengkop said:

"I believe APC and its supporters will not be happy to hear this news. Bad market for APC."

Yakz Jibrin said:

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2023 elections: Court sacks 2 APC candidates in same northern state

"Appeal court will over turn it. Watch out."

2023 elections: States where PDP, APC don’t have governorship candidates

In another related development, Legit.ng previously reported that the ruling APC and the lead opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) currently do not have governorship candidates in two states.

The PDP in Ogun state does not have a governorship candidate yet as a result of a court order.

There is also no governorship candidate for the APC in Akwa Ibom state.

Source: Legit.ng