Shinkafi Asks S’Court to Ignore APC’s Application to Review Zamfara Judgment

Tobi Soniyi

The governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Zamfara State, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi yesterday asked the Supreme Court to dismiss an application by a former governor of the state, Abdul-Aziz Yari challenging its decision against Muktar Idris of the All Progressives Congress as governor-elect of the state.

Shinkafi canvassed the position in a statement he issued, describing the application seeking review of the apex court judgment as a mockery of the judiciary and a national disgrace.

He noted that the Yari-led APC in Zamfara State had gone to the apex court on two occasions with the same result, asking the Supreme Court to hear the same application for a third time is ridiculous, vexatious and childish.

He said: “Yari faction of Zamfara APC expressed strong opposition to the May 24, 2019 judgment of the Supreme Court and desperately proceeded to file an application for judicial review marked SC/377/2019, insisting that it did nothing wrong to be barred for contesting in the elections.

“However, in a unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court on July 22, 2019, a five-man panel led by Justice Bode Rhodes Vivour said the application lacked merit and should never have been filed.

“The Supreme Court held that it has no jurisdiction over the matter because anything that has to do with pre-election matter must be brought within 60 days after a decision had been delivered.”

Shinkafi said since the apex court could not sit on appeal against its own decisions, he wondered why the APC in Zamfara decided to file another application at the court for a judicial review in November 2019.

“This total disregard for the letters of 1999 constitution of the Federal of Nigeria has opened the doors for a plethora of cases to be brought back to apex court for judicial review.

“This action has encouraged Hon Emeka Ihedioha whose election was voided by the Supreme Court on January 14 to file an application for a review of the Supreme Court judgement, Chief David Lyon APC Bayelsa governorship candidate is also challenging the Supreme Court judgement of February 13 and Abba Kabiru Yusuf PDP Kano State Governorship candidate is planning to file a similar application to seek for a judicial review of the Supreme Court judgement of January 20.”

He said: “This is unconstitutional and will therefore create a situation where there is no end to litigation in courts in Nigeria. This will make a mockery of our hard earned democracy and national disgrace.”

Shinkafi advised the APC to look inward and correct its mistakes instead of blaming the justices of the apex court for its woes

According to him, it was not the Supreme Court that stopped the APC from organising a valid primary in Zamfara.

He argued that APC would have had no need to ask the Supreme Court to review its judgment if only it had complied with its own constitution.

He admitted that even though the apex court could revisit its judgments in appropriate situations, the case of APC in Zamfara, he argued, did not fall within the category of judgments that should be reviewed.

He therefore advised the APC to start preparing for the next general election and stop wasting time disturbing the Supreme Court.

Shinkafi said the people of Zamfara had accepted their fate and by accepting Bello Matawalle as their governor.

“The best the APC can do is to allow the prevailing peace in the state to last”, he added.