Tobi Soniyi
As the Supreme Court is set to hear the application for it to review its judgment invalidating the election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in Zamfara State, a non-governmental organisation, Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Justice (PAPSJ), has asked the apex court not to hesitate in throwing out the application.
The group, in a statement issued by its Executive Director, Dr. Sanni Abdualhi Shinkafi, said APC problem in Zamfara State was self-inflicted-caused by the party’s inability to conduct a valid primary.
It stated that the state APC case did not fall within the category of cases the apex court could review.
The group also advised the APC to withdraw the application to save itself from further embarrassment.
It advised the party to be guided by the Supreme Court pronouncement on similar application made by the party in the Bayelsa State governorship case.
The body said the apex court made accurate findings when it punished the APC for its failure to follow the party’s constitution requiring the party to conduct primary and feature qualified candidates.
According to it, “The electoral jurisprudence is settled for decades that for there to be a valid ticket, both the candidate and his deputy governorship candidates sponsored by a political party must be qualified in all ramifications.
“Once there is an affliction on one, the candidature of the party collapses in its entirety rendering the joint ticket to be no-ticket at all.
“Two subsections of Section 187 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as altered), carry neither ambiguity nor vagueness in this regard. Little wonder, therefore, that the votes garnered by the ruling party were discountenanced on the ground that there was no valid nomination as at the time of the election.
“Where a political party fails in the screening of the candidates and presents an unqualified candidate, the sanction is not only disqualification but also penalty of N500, 000, which the Supreme Court probably forgot to impose on APC in the Bayelsa State case.
“The APC application for the review of the Zamfara State governorship election is frivolous as it is a case of a self-inflicted injury. The Adams Oshiomhole-led leadership of the party should take the blame for the party’s misfortune and should accept it in good faith and stop trying to apportion blame where it does not belong.”
