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Breaking! Court didn’t nullify Abia state governor-elect Otti candidature

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11 months ago

May 19, 2023

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Federal High Court sitting in Kano, presided over by Justice M N Yunusa has denied reports that it nullified the candidature of the Abia State Governor-elect Dr Alex Otti and all the candidates of the Labour Party in Abia State.

The court had been reported to have ruled that his emergence was not in compliance with the provisions of the 2022 electoral act, a report which has now been denied.

The Judge said that he has no jurisdiction to nullify the election of candidature of the Abia State Governor-elect, Dr. Alex Otti because he did not treat his matter.
The judge said that the election he nullified was the one for Kano State Labour Party(LP) candidates who contested the 2023 General Election.
One Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim had filed an application seeking 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.

A copy of the judgement delivered by the court was obtained Friday morning.

The Court in Suit No FHC/KN/CS/107/2023 filed by Mr Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ruled that the failure of the Labour Party to submit its membership register to the INEC within 30 days before their primaries renders the process invalid in Kano State only.

“The party that has not complied with the provisions of the electoral act cannot be said to have candidate in an election and cannot be declared winner of an election; this being so, the votes credited to the 1st defendant is a wasted vote,” the Judge ruled.