High Court in Yola bars Adamawa North Senator, Ishaku Cliff Abbo from contesting the 2023 Senatorial Elections as a candidate of the APC following his expulsion by the party; also restrains the lawmaker from parading himself as the APC candidate for the zone
It appears to be troubled times for Senator Elisha Ishaku Cliff Abbo, the lawmaker representing Adamawa North Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate, as a court has nullified his nomination as a candidate in the February 25 National Assembly elections.
In a judgement on Tuesday, Justice Danladi Mohammed of the High Court in Yola ruled that the embattled Senator cannot seek re-election into the Senate as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), following his expulsion by the ward chapter of his party.
Justice Mohammed maintained that Senator Abbo and the party are bound by the resolution of the Mubi North Local Government Executive Council, dated October 7, 2022, which expelled him. The court further restrained the APC, under which the senator is seeking re-election, from recognising him as its candidate, stating that he cannot validly be the candidate of the party in the forthcoming general election.
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The Executive Committee of the APC in Mubi North Local Government Area had, on October 7, 2022, approved the expulsion of the lawmaker as recommended by the party’s Disciplinary Committee. Following this, two members of the party, Abdullahi Suleiman and Yusha’u Usman of Kolere and Sabon Layi Wards respectively in Mubi North Local Government Area, sued Senator Abbo and sought an interpretation regarding his status in the APC.
Justice Mohammed thus declared that Abbo stops parading himself as candidate of the party for the Adamawa North Senatorial elections holding on February 25. According to the judge, the court is satisfied with the procedure followed in showing the senator the way out of the party, saying that he was accorded an opportunity to defend himself but deliberately refused to do so.
“The action of the plaintiffs in suing Abbo is not an internal affair of the party as claimed and that they have the locus standi to institute the action against him since they are registered members of the party,” the Court ruled.
One comment
Aladeokomo Babatunde Sunday
January 11, 2023 at 9:28 am
This is absurd with about a month to election? So what alternative is the court presenting to INEC, The party and ultimately The Adamawa North senatorial District. I think one have to get an indept details of the rulling. Again, the issue of Ward dismissing registered members seems not so proper to me. If there are some individuals within a particular ward who doesn’t like you as a candidate they may cook up stories and off you are kicked out. There should be a neutral central body within every party that attends to issues like this so that there will be an element of fair play.