Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) senator representing Taraba Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf, has commended Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for nullifying the APC Governorship Primary conducted on May 26, 2022 .
Justice Egwuatu, had in his ruling in Abuja, yesterday, declared that based on submissions made before him by all concerned parties, the purported primary election conducted by APC on 26th of May this year upon, which the party announced Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (APC Taraba South), as its candidate for the 2023 governorship elections, was a nullity.
He ruled that Yusuf remained the valid aspirant of the Taraba State APC governorship nominations, after validly obtaining both his Expression of Interest and Nomination forms from the APC, towards the said botched primary election.
He consequently ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary for authentic gubernatorial candidate within two weeks from this date of judgement, and that INEC should supervise same according to the provisions of the law.
In his reaction to the judgement, Yusuf said it was a victory for democracy driven by internal party democracy.
He said the primary that produced Bwacha as the party’s gubernatorial candidate was a charade, which made him to litigate against it as done by Chief David Sabo Kente in Federal High Court Jalingo, which also ruled against the outcome of the primary election.
“The judgement given today on the case I filed against the purported winner of APC guber primary in Taraba State on 26th May , 2022, the party itself and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is a welcome development as far as internal party democracy is concerned.
“I am not against my party or any member but strictly for due process in doing things, which was thrown to the winds in the purported May 26th 2022 APC gubernatorial primary in Taraba State.
“I am happy that the required windows have been provided for all interested parties from the aspirants to the party executives and INEC to do the right thing with the ordered fresh primary election.
“Going by provisions of the law and specifically as stated in section 84(13) of the 2022 Electoral Act , Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, may not participate in the ordered fresh primary since candidates earlier declared by political parties as winners of such faulty primaries are not eligible to contest in fresh ones,” he added.
