A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has affirmed Mohammad Sani Abacha as the duly elected governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Kano State governorship election in 2023.
The presiding judge, Justice A.M. Liman, in a judgement on Thursday evening, nullified the primary election that produced Sadiq Aminu Wali as PDP governorship candidate in the State and ordered INEC to expunge his name and replace with that of Abacha.
The judgement, which was virtually delivered, was earlier scheduled for 12.00noon but was later shifted to later in the day.
Mohammed Sani Abacha was the Plaintiff in the suit while INEC was the first Defendant, Sadiq Aminu Wali was the second Defendant, PDP was third Defendant, and Wada Sagagi was the fourth Defendant.
Commenting on the judgement, the lead Counsel to the plaintiff, Reuben Atabo, SAN, and Barrister Sai’du Tudun Wada, described the verdict as apt and victory for democracy.
Atabo went further to posit that on July 22, 2022, Abacha commenced an action at the Federal High Court in Kano where he raised six questions for determibation and also sought for six reliefs.
Atabo, SAN said based on the records before the Court, the case aroused as a result of the publication and submission of Alhaji Sadiq Aminu Wali’s name, who did not in any way participate in the PDP governorship primary election that produced the plaintiff.
He said on the May 25, 2022, PDP went ahead to forward Wali’s name to INEC as the Kano State governorship candidate of the PDP and consequently Abacha instituted an action questioning the validity of Wali’s nomination as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in the State.
According to the legal Counsel, arguments were taken from both the plaintiff and the defendants and in a landmark judgement on Thursday, December 22, 2022, Justice A.M. Liman held that the primary election conducted by Sadiq Wali and his group was without INEC’s participation, which makes it unacceptable.
