Court sacks Adamawa APC Female Guber candidate over primary election irregularities of over voting

The Federal High Court in Yola on Friday declared null and void the Adamawa governorship primary election of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The judgment sacked the APC gubernatorial candidate, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Binani from being the party’s candidate.

Justice Abdulaziz Anka in his ruling said Binani should stop parading herself as the party’s candidate because the issue of over-voting brought to the court is a serious matter in the electoral act.

According to him, the party has no Governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections because of the substantive evidence brought by the plaintiff (Nuhu Ribadu) who prayed for another primary to be organized for the state by the party.

Anka in his over two hours ruling said Aishatu Binani who was earlier declared the party’s flag bearer by the party should stop parading herself as the party’s candidate.

According to him, the primary election was void because of the issue of over-voting and fielding of delegates from Lamurde local government where a congress was alleged not to have been conducted.

He however said that the dependents have the right to appeal.

Sam Tomi SAN, counsel to Binani said they have listened to the judge and taken note of his reasoning.

“Our responsibility now is to study the judgment and take a necessary step but, one thing I can assure you is that we will appeal the judgment”, he said.

Sule Abdul, counsel to APC also said that they would sit and look at the judgment holistically to decide on the next line of action.

He said that they have the right to appeal which is a constitutional matter.

You would recall that the case was filled by Malam Nuhu Ribadu, Former Chairman Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) against APC, Binani, and INEC on overvoting, vote buying, and contention in the legitimacy of delicate from Lamurde Local Government.

It recalls that during the primaries Binani scored the highest vote of 430 votes followed by Ribadu who scored 288 votes on May 27, 2022