Okerafor Athanatius, Jalingo.
The Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo the Taraba State capital has affirmed the election of Col. Agbu Kefas (Rtd) as the duly elected Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 Governorship election.
This was contained in a Court ruling this Monday by the Chief Judge of the Court, Justice Simon Amobeda, saying the Claims and Prayers of the Plaintiff lacks merit.
Our Correspondent gathered that Proff. Jerome Nyame, (Plaintiff) a Gubernatorial Aspirant of PDP filed a Suit at the Court, challenging the Candidacy of Col. Agbu Kefas (Rtd) (Defendant) for the 2023 polls.
According to our Reporter, the Plaintiff, Nyame had prayed the Court to nullify the election of Kefas on the ground that he violated Part VII, Article 1 of the Electoral Guidelines for the Primary Elections of PDP, 2022, saving he didn’t resign as the State PDP Chairman.
Other submissions by the Plaintiff, our Correspondent noted were, that PDP held its Primary election on 25th May, 2022 with only Six days before the resignation of Agbu Kefas as the Party Chairman, and that the screening of various Aspirants took place on the 28th April, 2022 while Agbu, was still the Chairman of the Party.
Nyameh further submitted that Agbu only resigned via a letter dated May 17, 2022, which was received at the national headquarters of PDP on May 19.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the Judgment, the Lead Counsel for Col. Agbu Kefas, Candidate of PDP, Barrister Musa Tende said the Court has made an expositional analysis of the position of the 2023 Electoral Act.
“As it stands, not only that Col. Kefas Agbu is legible to have participated in the PDP Primaries but he is the rightful person returned as the Candidate for the 2023 elections”,
“By the grace of God, he will be the one to contest election in 2023 under the platform of the PDP”,
“This is because with this judgment now, it is very clear who the duly elected Candidate is”,
“I am of the opinion that the other Aspirants should come, let us reason together because all these unnecessary distraction is uncalled for, 2023 is Kefas, we don’t know who it will be next, so, let us be patient”, he added.
