Court orders PDP to refund N3.5m to senatorial aspirant

Barr. Umar had dragged the PDP before the court challenging his “illegal disqualification” when he aspired for the Gombe North in the PDP senatorial primary election. The aspirant, through his counsel, Barr. Ibrahim Attahir, prayed the court to cancel the primary and ordered it to conduct a fresh one that would enable his client to participate. Barr. Attahir told the court that his client was not given a fair hearing prior to his disqualification by the screening committee. However, counsel to the PDP, Barr. Habu Abdu, informed the court that the aspirant was disqualified by the party because he (Umar) had withdrawn from partisan politics and had not been contributing financially to the party. In his verdict, Justice Abdulhamid Muhammed Yakubu said the plaintiff was not given a fair hearing by the PDP screening committee as the issue of not being a contributing financial member to the party was not brought up when he appeared before them. On the prayer for the cancellation of the election, Justice Yakubu said since the deadline for the conduct of party primaries was over, ordered the PDP to pay the aspirant the N3.5m he spent for the party’s Nomination and Expression of Interest forms. However, PDP’s counsel, Barr. Abdu, said the party would study the ruling and decide its next action. Meanwhile, Umar’s counsel Barr. Attahir, said they were satisfied with the judgement, adding that since the court had answered their major prayers, his client would not appeal the ruling.]]>