THE Supreme Court has fixed February 6 to deliver judgment in an appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging the disqualification of Senate President Ahmed Lawan from contesting the forthcoming election as the APC candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District.
A five-man panel of justices of the apex court led by Justice Chima Nweze, on Wednesday, February 1, adjourned the appeal for judgment after all the parties adopted their final briefs of argument.
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Lawan lost his re-election bid on November 28, 2022, following a unanimous decision by a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which confirmed Bashir Sheriff Machina as the authentic candidate of the APC for the senatorial election.
Despite the controversy surrounding the senatorial race, the APC submitted Lawan’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District.
Miffed by the development, Machina headed to court to seek redress and was declared the validly elected senatorial candidate of the APC by a Federal High Court in Damaturu.
The APC took the matter before the appellate court and argued that Lawan was the party’s chosen candidate for the election. However, the appellate court dismissed the appeal, and awarded N1 million in favour of Machina.
The court held that evidence showed that the primary election that produced Machina was conducted in strict compliance with the Electoral Act, the 1999 Constitution, and the electoral guidelines of the APC.
It noted that the election was also monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as required by law.
The appellate court also noted that the APC failed to join Lawan as a co-appellant in the matter and cited him as the 2nd Respondent, indicating that the party was working at cross purposes with Lawan.
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