The Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo Taraba state capital today ( Wednesday) disqualified the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State, Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi, from participating in the election on Saturday, March 9th.
The presiding judge Justice Steven Pam in his ruling stated that Danladi in his personal particulars has stated that he was born on 14th February 1968.
The judge said in conflict with his date of birth contained in the West Africa Senior School Certificate submitted by him to National Independent Electoral Commission INEC have indicated that he was born on 3rd April 1977.
The judge therefore declared that the information given by Danladi as to his age in the affidavit in support of his particulars to INEC in form CF001 is declared false.
“The judge stated in his three pages ruling that Sani Abubaka Danladi is hereby disqualified from contesting election as the candidate of the All Progressive Congress APC in the governorship election for Taraba state slated for 9th March 2019 or any subsequent date”
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Pam further stress that “the INEC is hereby retrained from recognizing, accepting or treating Danladi as the candidate of APC in governorship election slated for coming Saturday”
The court also stop the APC from recognizing, holding out or treating Danladi as its candidate in the Saturday’s governorship election or any subsequent date to be slated.
“The defendant (Danladi) is hereby prohibited from parading himself as the candidate of APC in the governorship election slated on the 9th March 2019.
Responding to the judgements, the chairman APC Taraba state chapter Bar. Ibrahim Elsudi describe the Federal High Court ruling as mischievous and comical in the eyes of the party.
Elsudi while addressing the Journalist in Jalingo in connection to the judgment said the same issue was ruled against by court in the year 2007 and was subsequently dismissed by the appeal court, he also noted that all judgments passed by the appeal court supercedes those of the lower court.
He further stated that there are also legal process involve in the substitution of candidates by INEC and therefore a court judgment does not automatically disqualified a party in a contest.
Elsudi therefore call on the supporters of APC to go about their normal campaign and also come out to vote for Danladi come Saturday governorship election.
