The two separate High Courts in Abuja and Gusua has ruled the different decision on the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara state.
The federal high court in Abuja has upheld the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to accept the list of candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara state while the high court in Gusua asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept the primaries for the APC’s governorship, senatorial, house of representatives and state Assembly seats.
The commission based the action on the inability of the ruling party to conduct primary election before deadline.
Crisis had stalled the primary as supporters of Abdulaziz Yari, governor of the state, and Kabir Marafa, a senator, clashed over the exercise on different occasions.
INEC had refused to accept the appeal of the leadership of the party which argued that candidates could be adopted through consensus.
Some supporters of the party had headed to the court.
At the Abuja court on Friday, Ijeoma Ojukwu, the presiding judge, said it the fault of INEC that APC failed to conduct a valid primary scheduled period.
Onjukwu said INEC’s action was intended to curb impunity among political parties and politicians.
At the Gusau court presided over by justice Muhammad Bello Shinkafi on Friday affirmed that the ruling All Progressive Congress in Zamfara state had conducted primaries elections on 3rd and 7th October 2018.
The court also asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept the primaries for the APC’s governorship, senatorial, house of representatives and state Assembly seats.
The National Secretariat of the All Progressive Congress was also barred from replacing the names of those who won the primary elections of the party on 7th October 2018.
In case with a suit number ZMS/GS/52/2018, Sanusi Liman Dan Alhaji and 37 others vs APC and 143, the plaintiffs had asked the court to compel the All Progressive Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission accept the results of the party’s primaries election in the state conducted on the 7th of October 2018 among others.
After cross examination of all witnesses justice Shinkafi granted the prayers of the APC and agreed that primary elections were conducted and won on October 7 2018.
The APC primary elections in the state were mired in controversy when the Independent National Electoral Commission said the party can not field candidates in the state for the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
