The People’s Redemption Party (PRP) has instituted a lawsuit against Sodique Abubakar, a former Chief of Air Staff and Bala Mohammed, the Bauchi State Governor over their alleged unlawful nominations for the 2023 general elections.
The party filed the suit through its lawyer, Chris Kelechi Udeoyibo before a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking their disqualification in the 2023 governorship election in the state on the grounds of alleged double nominations from their respective political parties.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1302, the party is claiming that the Bauchi Governor alongside Mr Abubakar violated the provisions of the Electoral Act by allegedly engaging in double nomination.
What PRP is seeking
- In the suit, the PRP is praying the court to nullify the candidacy of both the state Governor and Mr Abubakar in the upcoming 2023 general elections.
- While PRP is the plaintiff, the defendants include Mr Mohammed, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
- PRP argued that Mr Mohammed violated section Section 177(c) of the Constitution as well as sections 84(13) and 115(d) of the constitution having participated as a candidate in the May 28, 2022, presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and later as a candidate in the party’s governorship primary in Bauchi State on June 4, 2022.
- The party is asking the court to restrain INEC from recognising Mr Mohammed as a candidate of the PDP in the upcoming general elections.
- They also prayed the court to bar him from further parading himself as the candidate of the PDP for the governorship election.
- In an affidavit in support of the application, Ahmed Umar Farouk the PRP Governorship candidate said no law permits a candidate to sign two nomination papers or result forms. That is, for both presidential and governorship primaries which are two constituencies at the same time, and in the same election period in the 2023 general elections.
- He said, “having participated in both primaries, during which he signed two nomination papers or result forms in respect of two different constituencies; at the same time in breach of Section 177(c) of the Constitution as well as sections 84(13) and 115(d) of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC should be restrained from allowing Mohammed and his party participate in the next governorship election in the state”.
- “Where a political party fails to comply with the provisions of relevant laws in the conduct of its primaries, its candidate for election shall not be included in the election for the particular position in issue”.
In another suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1303, the PRP is praying the court to disqualify Mr Abubakar and Shehu Musa as the governorship and deputy governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election.
Mr Abubakar who served as chief of air staff from 2015 to January 2021 joined the governorship race in Bauchi on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PRP argued that Mr Musa violated the provisions of the Constitution and Electoral Act by participating in the House of Representatives primaries held by APC on May 28, 2022, of which he won and later also participated in the governorship primaries held on June 4, 2022, where he was nominated as the deputy governorship candidate.