APC Adamawa Has No Governorship Candidate in 2023 Election, Court Rules

Bennett Oghifo

Justice Abdulaaziz Anka of the Federal High Court in Yola, Adamawa State, yesterday, ruled to nullify the candidacy of Senator Aishatu Ahmed, fondly known as Binani, as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

The court also denied a plea for a fresh primary, which implies that the APC would have no gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 election.

The court, which delivered its judgement following a suit FHC/YL/CS/12/2022 filed by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of APC, declared Aishatu Ahmed’s candidacy invalid and unlawful.

The court held that the Adamawa APC governorship primary conducted on May 26, 2022 “did not comply with the 2022 Electoral Act, the nation’s constitution, and the party guidelines.”

Justice Anka said, “My findings are that there’s non-compliance to the Electoral Act, as well as party guidelines and the constitution because there was manifest overvoting, which has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The court also held that the nomination of Aishatu Ahmed contravened Section 85 of the Electoral Act because there was “manifest overvoting.”