Adamawa PDP to know fate on validity of governorship primaries

The Supreme Court has adjourned till 25th November for judgment to determine the validity of the governorship primary election conducted by the People’s Democratic Party in Adamawa State after the exclusion of Abubakar Waziri from participating in the election.

Justice Kekere Eko, who leads a five-member of Apex court adjourned for judgment after parties in the suit had adopted their processes.

Abubakar Waziri has, through his counsel, challenged the judgment of the court of Appeal which dismissed his appeal on grounds of him lacking the locus standi since he was not an aspirant in the Adamawa state PDP governorship primaries held on 23rd May in the State.

The Appellant court had held that the trial court was right to have dismissed the suit for want of jurisdiction.

All political parties have the power to set out rules by which they conduct their primaries, what happens during the screening of candidates is an internal affair of the party.

On 18th July 2022, Justice Obiora Egwuatu dismissed the suit filed by Mr Waziri on grounds that it was an internal party matter and as such the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain it.

Mr Waziri had sued the PDP and INEC over his disqualification by the screening committee of the party in preparation for the Adamawa State governorship race in 2023.

He argued that both the Yola South Local Government Area and the Steering Committee of the PDP cleared him having met all the requirements to participate in the primary election billed for May 23.

Mr Waziri had prayed to the trial court for a declaration that his disqualification from Primary Election in Adamawa State was unconstitutional, illegal, invalid, null and void.