APC loses as Supreme Court awards Zamfara to PDP
In an unprecedented judicial pronouncement, Nigeria’s Supreme Court awarded governorship, National Assembly and state Assembly elective posts to the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
In a verdict read today, the apex court nullified the participation of the candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2019 General Elections.
The party members had been locked in judicial dispute over the legality of the primaries conducted.
The court declared the party with the second highest votes as winners of the elections.
The beneficiaries by default are the PDP candidates.
In the governorship election for instance, the APC was the winner.
The State Collation officer, Prof Kabiru Bala of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria said the APC candidate polled 534,541 to defeat Dr. Bello Muhammad Mutawalle of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who got 189,452. Mutawalle will now be the governor of the state.
In the state assembly elections, the APC also won all the constituencies.
The decision of the Supreme Court will affect Governor Yari, who won the Zamfara West Senatorial election in February. INEC had declared Yari winner of the election after he polled 153,626 votes, while Lawal Hassan of the PDP scored 69,293 votes.
With the apex court’s ruling, Hassan of the PDP has taken over as the Senator-elect for Zamfara West Senatorial District at the Senate.
Also, the APC senator for Zamfara North, Alhaji Tijjani Yahaya-Kaura had retained his seat by defeating the PDP’s candidate, Alhaji Sahabi Ya’u; but with the court’s judgment, Ya’u of the PDP is now the Senator-elect for Zamfara North.
A former Information Minister during the administration of the late Alhaji Umar Musa Yar, Adua, Alhaji Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, who won the Senatorial election for Zamfara Central Senatorial District, will also lose his seat.
Also affected are the seven APC House of Representatives members-elect. They are: Alhaji Ibrahim Birnin Magaji from Kaura/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency; Alhaji Abubakar Husaini Moriki from Shimkafi/Zurmi Federal Constituency and Zubairu Zanna from Maru/Bungudu Federal Constituency.
Others are Sanusi Rikiji of Gusau/Tsafe Federal Constituency; Muntaka Rini of Bakura/Maradun Federal Constituency; Sharu Dandarki of Mafara/ Anka Federal Constituency and Jibo Bukkuyum from Gummi/bukkuyum Federal Constituency. They have all lost their seats to the PDP at the National Assembly.
More so, APC, who won all 24 House of Assembly seats in the last election will also lose them to the PDP members who were runners-up.
Those affected are: Lawan Liman, Abubakar Kaura, Kabiru Moyi, Yusif Moriki, Mannir Aliyu, Shehu Maiwurno, Aliyu Abubakar, Aminu Danjibua, Dalhatu Magami, Sanusi Liman, Ibrahim Hassan, Yakubu Bature, Ibrahim Habu
Haruna Abdullahi, Isah Abdulmumini, Aliyu Kagara, Mohammed Sani, Yahaya Shehu, Yahaya Abdullahi, Aliyu Gayari, Aminu Falale, Yahaya Jibrin and Tukur Dantawasa.
