Justice Muhammad Nasir-Yunusa of a Federal High Court sitting in Kano State, has denied nullifying the candidature of the Abia State governor-elect, Dr. Alex Otti of the Labour Party. LP.
The judge said the candidates who participated in the 2023 general election in Abia State were not parties before his court.
Justice Nasir-Yunusa, said his court nullified the election of the candidates for Kano Labour Party, LP, that contested the 2023 general election.
Recall that Ibrahim Haruna-Ibrahim, plaintiff in the matter had in the suit, prayed the court to revoke and set aside the certificate of return issued to all LP candidates declared winner in Kano and the 35 states of the Federation, including the FCT Abuja.
Labour Party and Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC, were defendants in the suit.
The judge had said: “This court lacks jurisdiction to make an order for the issuance of a certificate of return.
“They are at liberty to seek redress in the appropriate Division of the court,” he said.
He said INEC was bound to insist on receiving the registered members of the Labour Party and that of other political parties 30 days before primary election in compliance with section 77(3) of the electoral act 2022.
The section states that a party that has not complied with the section 77(2)(3) of the electoral act 2022 cannot be declared winner of the election.
“The court declared the primary election of LP in Kano as null and void,” Justice Nasir-Yunusa said.
Also recall that the judge was in 2016 indicted for bribe-taking and recommended for early retirement by the National Judicial Council. NJC, but President Muhammadu Buhari refused to sign off the sanction.
