Supreme court sacks Bwacha as Taraba APC guber candidate

The supreme court has nullified the nomination of Emmanuel Bwacha as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba state.

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, a five-member panel led by Kudirat Kekere-Ekun affirmed the verdict of the federal high court which held that the APC did not conduct any valid governorship primary in the state.

In September 2022, a federal high court in Jalingo, Taraba state, sacked Bwacha as the APC’s governorship candidate.

David Sabo Kente, one of the aspirants, had filed the suit against Bwacha’s candidature.

Simon Amobeda, the high court judge, had agreed with the plaintiff that no governorship primary was held in Taraba.

The judge condemned the false declaration of results at Danbaba Suntai airport in Jalingo by the returning officer who later reportedly left the country on a private jet.

The judge ordered that a fresh primary should be conducted within 14 days.

However, on November 24, the court of appeal in Yola set aside the judgment of the trial court which sacked Bwacha.

But Kente, through his counsel, Kanu Agabi, filed an appeal before the supreme court.

In its judgment, the apex court held that the court of appeal was wrong to have set aside the decision of the trial court.

Consequently, the apex court allowed the appeal setting aside the judgment of the court of appeal.

The supreme court also affirmed the judgment of the federal high court in Jalingo which also required the party to conduct a fresh primary within 14 days.