House of reps: Court sacks APC candidate in Jigawa, PDP nominee in Zamfara

A federal high court in Abuja has voided the nomination of two house of representatives candidates in Jigawa and Zamfara states.

The court, in two judgments, sacked Aminu Kanta as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Babura/Garki federal constituency in Jigawa state, and Sani Galadima as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Kaura Namoda Bimin Magaji constituency in Zamfara.

The PDP was ordered to conduct a fresh primary to choose its candidate for the Kaura Namoda Bimin Magaji federal constituency, while the court directed Isa Dogonyaro to be recognised as the APC’s legitimate candidate for the Babura/Garki federal constituency.

Delivering judgment on Monday in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/832/2022 and filed by two chieftains of PDP — Muzammil Idris and Ibrahim Sani — Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, held that Galadima, having failed to resign from the APC to PDP within the time stipulated by law (30 days before the primary), was not a lawful member of PDP and therefore, unqualified to contest any election under the party’s platform.

In the second suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1052/2022, Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, held that Kanta’s nomination was voided on the grounds that he submitted false information.

In the ruling delivered on November 10, the judge held that Kanta, who had previously claimed his name was Ahmed Mohammed, contested the primary under a false name.

Nwite ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to substitute the name of Kanta with that of Isa Dogonyaro as the APC candidate for Babura/Garki federal constituency of Jigawa state.

Dongonyaro had also claimed that Kanta served as commissioner and special adviser in the state between 2015 and 2022 using the name ‘Ahmed Mohammed’.