From Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
The tussle between Sadiq Wali and Mohammed Sani Abacha over who becomes the governorship flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano state, is yet to abate as the former has gone to Appeal Court challenging the judgement of a Kano High Court which gave victory to Abacha on Thursday.
Wali, who spoke to Journalists in reaction to the High Court judgement said his lawyers discovered several errors on the judgement, which would give him a firm ground to reclaim what he described as “mandate of Kano people” at the Appeal Court.
He expressed optimism that, “we will win at Appeal Court God willing. We will be victorious and emerge winners of the 2023 elections by God’s grace.
“This judgement is riddle with errors but because i am not a legal practitioner, i can not say much on this, but my lawyers will speak about it.”
Also speaking, Wali’s lawyer, Nasir Adamu Aliyu (SAN) said they have recorded more than twenty grounds for defense at Appeal Court.
He recalled that, Wali won at Appeal Court when Ja’afar Sani Bello filed a suit challenging his primary election after it was duly conducted and supervised by the national body of PDP.
“We won at Appeal Court on the ground that any primary election, conducted by state chapter of the party, not national body, is null and void. Again, we were not party to the Ja’af toar’s suit, but the high court insisted that we must join the suit. Eventually, we won at Appeal Court.
“The Appeal Court rules that they do not have ground to file suit against Sadiq Wali because the primary election they conducted was not organized and supervised by the national body of the party. It was supervised by the state chapter and as such, it is illegal” Aliyu added.
He said they were waiting to be served with the copy of the Thursday judgement in preparation for the appeal.
He further stated that section 82 of the Electoral Act 2022 says notice of primary election should be served to national headquarters of INEC, not state, in not less than 21 days.
“We served the notice before the deadline, but the judge declared the primary election illegal because the national body of PDP served headquarters of INEC not state headquarters. This is a big mistake. The PDP was on course to have served INEC national headquarters,” he said.
The AUTHORITY reports that a Federal High Court sitting in Kano, on Thursday, declared Mohammed Sani Abacha, son of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, as the duly elected gubernitorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State.
The Court presided over by Justice A.M Liman, nullified the primary election that gave the ticket to Sadik Aminu Wali, who before the judgement, had been recognized as PDP’s governorship flagbearer in the state.
The Court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to, with immediate effect, recognize Mohammed Sani Abacha as PDP’s governorship candidate in Kano.
The Court, during the judgement which was virtually delivered at about 4 p. m Thursday, granted all the prayers of the plaintiff in the suit.
Mohammed Sani Abacha had dragged Sadie Aminu Wali, PDP and INEC to a Federal High Court seeking his restoration and recognition as the Kano PDP governorship candidate in the 2023 election.
