Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has described the Supreme Court judgment affirming him as Yobe APC senatorial candidate as victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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He stated this while briefing newsmen, yesterday, in Abuja, after the judgment was delivered by Justice Centus Nweze of the apex court.
Lawan said: “Let me start by thanking God for his blessing and of course, what had happened today in the Supreme Court. The judgement on Yobe North particularly is a victory for APC in Yobe and generally APC across the country. What happened was democracy at work and the courts gave their various judgements and of course the Supreme Court gave the final judgement. I want to at this point, commend the supreme court and of course, the judiciary generally for making this kind of judgment to strengthen our democracy. This is because it is not only for politicians to work and strengthen democracy it is all of us and all the institutions have their roles to play. So I commend them.”
Lawan thanked the APC for “taking this matter to the Supreme Court. So today, it is a victory for all of us involved. I am the symbol but the victory is for our party the APC and for democracy.”
He also thanked his colleagues in the Senate for the support, love and for the partnership.
In a majority judgment delivered by Justice Centus Nweze, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by the APC against Bashir Machina’s candidature.
The lead majority judgment of three justices against two, set aside the verdict of the Court of Appeal Abuja Division, which had on November 28, 2022, affirmed Bashir Machina as the authentic APC senatorial candidate for Yobe North in the forthcoming general elections.
However, Justices Adamu Jauro and Emma Agim disagreed with the lead decision and consequently entered a dissent judgment, by dismissing the appeal of APC and affirming the concurrent findings of fact of the trial and appellate courts.
Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen, who presided over a three-member panel of the appellate court, gave the affirmation in an appeal by the APC (appellant) challenging the decision of Justice Fadimatu Aminu of the Federal High Court Damaturu, which had on Sept. 28, 2022, declared Machina as winner of the primary election organised by the party on May 28, 2022.
However, having lost the APC presidential primary to Bola Tinubu, the party opted for Lawan to replace Machina.
But Machina insisted that he would not withdraw for the Senate President.
In the face of the controversy, the APC submitted the Senate President’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission as its senatorial candidate for Yobe North.
Not satisfied with the decision of his party, Machina headed to court to seek redress.
Specifically, Machina in his suit, asked the court to declare him as the validly elected senatorial candidate of the APC for Yobe North Senatorial District.
Justice Aminu had nullified the parallel primary election that produced Lawan on June 9, 2022, insisting that the National Working Committee of the APC conducted a valid primary election on May 28, which was won by Bashir Sheriff Machina.
Consequently, the trial judge ordered the APC to forward the name of Machina to INEC as the authentic winner of the primary election for Yobe North.
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