Court strips Kano PDP candidate of guber ticket

A federal high court in Kano state has nullified the candidature of Abba Yusuf, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in Kano state.

The court presided by Leis Allagoa nullified the primary election that led to emergence of Yusuf.

The judge ruled that the PDP did not conduct governorship primary election in Kano.

He ordered that a fresh primary election be conducted before the forthcoming governorship election.

Bashir Yusuf, counsel to the PDP, said the verdict did not affect the candidate but the party.

Ibrahim Al- Amin, a PDP gubernatorial aspirant, confirmed to TheCable that he had approached the court, challenging the process that led to emergence of Yusuf as flagbearer of the party in Kano.

Earlier, the plaintiff prayed the court to nullify the election on the ground that it was grossly flawed, given the manner he had been sidelined with no justifiable reasons to legitimise such an act.

He said he was blatantly denied participation in the primary election, in spite of the fact that he had brought his expression and nomination form.

It was, however the contention of the plaintiff that there was also the need for the court to interpret whether the party could go ahead to field a candidate for the election in Kano without conducting the primary election or not.

In his submission, counsel to the plaintiff, Kabir Usman said the judgement effected had become legally expedient, since his client had been denied the right to contest the election.

He said with the cancellation of the primary election, the governorship slot is now vacant, pending when a fresh and valid primary election is held.

The development, which comes four days to the governorship election, is a boost to the reelection of Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano.

Ganduje is running under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP candidate is his major rival.