All seems not to be well with the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) In Zamfara state as the Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto yesterday set aside the Zamfara High Court judgement on whose strenght the APC fielded candidates for the 2019 general elections.
The Appeal Court judgement while affirming that the lower court has the jurisdiction to entertain the case however faulted the Zamfara lower court on its refusal to genuinely evaluate all available evidences in the case before taking stand.
Delivering judgement in Sokoto, the pesiding Judge, Justice Tom Shuaibu Yakubu said the lower court did not properly evaluate and assess all the evidences put before it before making its judgement.
In that regard, the 3 member panel of judges, led by Justice Yakubu said on a critical reevaluation and reassessment of the evidences by the appellant court, it was discovered that the party did not follow the provision of electoral act and the guidelines provided by the party in selecting its candidates.
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Giving instances to back his submission, Justice Yakubu said the APC In Zamfara made two unsuccessiful attempts to conduct primaries in the state and list of candidates were not dully submitted to INEC by the national headquarter of the party as promised by the national chairman of APC, Adams Oshomole.
Said Justice Yakubu, “I hereby set aside the judgement of the lower court which allowed the party to field candidates in the last general elections.
” I believe this will serve as a very bitter lesson for political parties to learn. They must abide by the provision of the electoral act which provide level playing ground for all aspirants,”
Both Justices Tijjani Abubakar and Jamiu Tukur who also members of the judges panel adopted the judgement by Justice Yakubu.
Registering his displeasure over the judgement, counsel to the 1st and 38th respondents, Barrister Isa Abubakar said they would appeal the judgement.
