Supreme Court Confirms Umar Namadi As APC Governorship Candidate In Jigawa State

The Supreme Court Friday affirmed the nomination of the deputy governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general elections.

In a unanimous judgement by the five-member panel led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the apex court upheld the primary election conducted on May 26, which produced Namadi as the winner.

In the lead judgement delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, the panel dismissed the appeal filed by Farouk Adamu Aliyu, a former minority leader of the House of Representatives for being frivolous, baseless and lacking merit.

Aliyu’s suits against Namadi were also dismissed by the Federal High Court in Dutse and the Court of Appeal in Kano.

Similarly, the apex court nullified the primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which produced Jones Onyerere as its senatorial candidate for the Imo West senatorial district in the February 25 election.

The apex court nullified the primary election on the ground that it was conducted in Owerri, the Imo State Capital instead of Orlu, the senatorial headquarters of Imo West.

Justice Emmanuel Agim, in a judgement on the appeal filed by Nnamdi Ezeani, said that PDP grossly violated section 87 (9) of the Electoral Act by conducting the primary election outside the venue stipulated by law.