Sunday Ejike – Abuja
The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed Lawal Adamu Usman as the Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Kaduna Central Senatorial District of Kaduna.
The Apex Court upheld the December 19, 2022 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which had voided and set aside the decision of a Federal High Court in Kaduna in the legal battle for the ticket.
Delivering judgment in an appeal filed by an aggrieved Senatorial aspirant, Mr Ibrahim Usman, the Supreme Court held that courts have no jurisdiction to dabble into the internal and domestic affairs of political parties.
Justice Emmanuel Agim who delivered the unanimous judgment of the court, prepared by Justice Heleen Morenikeji Ogunwumiju, while dismissing the appeal for lacking in merit said that the decision of the PDP National Working Committee on May 23, 2022, the primary election was correct and cannot be faulted.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja had on December 19, 2022, reinstated Lawal Adamu Usman as the candidate of the PDP after his removal by a Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna, which had nullified the primary election for Kaduna Central Senatorial District.
After nullifying the primary election, the trial court ordered a re-run, which Usman again won and his name was subsequently published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as the PDP candidate.
But Lawal Adamu’s victory was challenged at the Federal High Court by Usman Ibrahim who came second in the primary election held on the 23rd of May 2022.
The trial Court judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, held that the claims of the plaintiff (Ibrahim) were substantial and consequently declared the primary election null and void.
But the Court of Appeal in its judgment delivered by Justice Peter Affen held that the High Court lacked the jurisdiction to inquire into the internal affairs of the PDP.
Consequently, the appeal was upheld and judgement of the high court was set aside.
