PDP takes over Zamfara

The Supreme Court on Friday declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had no candidates in Zamfara State in the 2019 general elections. Accordingly, the Peoples Demcoratic Party (PDP) has taken pover the state in the governorship and legislature elections in tehw state.

The five-member panel of Justices, in a unanimous judgment, held that APC in Zamfara State failed to conduct primaries in accordance with the party rules.

In the lead judgment by Justice Paul Adamu Galinji, the Court held that all votes cast for the APC were “wasted votes”,and declaring that all political parties with the second highest votes in the elections and the required spread, are elected into the various elections.

The panel also awarded cost of N10 million against APC in favour of the Senator Kabiru Marafa faction of the APC and other respondents in the appeal.

APC stakeholders on the direct losers list in the judgment include the Governor-elect, Mukhtar Shehu Idris; Senators Abdulazeez Yari (Zamfara West); Aliyu Ikra Bilbis (Zamfara Central); Kaura Tijjani Yahaya (Zamfara North); seven elected members of the House of Representatives and 24 House of Assembly members.

The Supreme Court had on Thursday fixed the date after taking arguments from lawyers involved in two separate appeals on the Zamfara State APC primary election conducted in 2018 for the nomination of candidates for 2019 general elections.