Apex Court affirms President of Senate Ahmed Lawan, APC Candidate For Yobe North

By Iyojo Ameh

The supreme court has declared President of the Senate Ahmed Lawan, as the APC senatorial candidate for Yobe North in the 2023 senatorial election.

That was the ruling of the Apex court after the APC went to court challenging the nomination of Bashir Machina as the party’s candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District election.

According to the APC Ahmad Lawan, president of the Senate, 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 informed the court that the APC cancelled the primary poll on account of the irregularities during the exercise.

He argued that the other primary held on 9 June was conducted by the APC NWC, and produced Lawan as the party’s authentic candidate.

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

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