The Appeal court sitting in Sokoto has dismissed the appeal challenging the judgment of the lower court which upheld the primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara state.
Daily Trust had
earlier reported on Monday that the three judges of the Appeal Court in
Sokoto withdrawn from the case over bribery allegation to the tune of
$3million (dollars).
One of the respondents, Kabiru Marafa,
alleged that there was bribery allegation against the judges which made
them lose confidence in them.
Counsel to Senator Marafa,
Barrister Muhammad Nuhu, alleged that there was a posting on social
media platform, alleging that the judges had received three million
Dollars from one Kabiru Kamba to compromise.
“Because of that my
client is not comfortable with them and urge the president of the Court
of Appeal to constitute a new panel to entertain the case,” he said.
Responding
to the allegation, the presiding Judge, Justice Ahmed Belgori said they
have decided to disqualify themselves from the case over the grievous
allegation in view of the present situation in the judiciary and the
country.
Recalled that a High Court in Gusau presided over by
Justice Muhammad Bello Shinkafi on Jauary 25 affirmed that the APC in
Zamfara state had conducted primaries elections on 3rd and 7th October
2018.
The court also asked the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) to accept the primaries for the APC’s governorship,
senatorial, house of representatives and state Assembly seats.
The
National Secretariat of the All Progressive Congress was also barred
from replacing the names of those who won the primary elections of the
party on 7th October 2018.
In case with a suit number
ZMS/GS/52/2018, Sanusi Liman Dan Alhaji and 37 others vs APC and 143,
the plaintiffs had asked the court to compel the All Progressive
Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission accept the
results of the party’s primaries election in the state conducted on the
7th of October 2018 among others.
On the same day, the Federal
High Court, Abuja, on Friday barred the APC, from fielding candidates
in Zamfara in the forthcoming general elections.
Justice Ijeoma
Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, affirmed the decision of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), foreclosing the party
from participating in the election.
Justice Ojukwu held that the
position adopted by INEC with regards to Zamfara APC was in tandem with
the law and would help to instill discipline.
Source:- Dailytrustng
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