S’court dismisses suit seeking to remove Abbo as APC Adamawa north senatorial candidate

The supreme court has dismissed a suit challenging the candidacy of Elisha Abbo as the All Progressives Congress (APC) representative for Adamawa north senatorial district.

In a unanimous decision delivered on Wednesday, a five-member panel of justices led by Inyang Okoro dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit.

One Abdullahi Suleiman had sued Abbo, challenging his victory at the primary election conducted by the APC for Adamawa north senatorial district.

Having lost before the lower court, Suleiman appealed to the supreme court.

However, the apex court held that the appellant had no locus to challenge the outcome of the election in which he did not participate. 

The appellant, therefore, through his counsel withdrew the appeal and it was subsequently dismissed.

A high court in Yola had sacked Abbo as the APC candidate in  Adamawa north senatorial zone for the March 25 elections.

In the judgment delivered on January 10, Mohammed Danladi, presiding judge, held that having been expelled from his ward, the senator cannot seek nomination under the party or re-election.

The judge said the expulsion of the lawmaker by the Mubi north local government council executives on October 7, 2022, bound Abbo and the APC.

The council had expelled Abbo for alleged anti-party activities following his criticism and resistance to the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.

However, the appellate court nullified the judgment of the state high court.

The court of appeal held that the trial court had no jurisdiction to entertain the matter, affirming that Abbo is a card-carrying member of the APC and was entitled to seek re-election into the senate through his party’s ticket.

Meanwhile, Abbo won the March 25 senatorial election scoring 71, 927 votes to defeat Yohanna Amos, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 61,895 votes to come second.