Abubakar Waziri to appeal over Adamawa PDP Ticket

Abubakar Waziri says he will appeal 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 which held on 23th May in the State.

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

The court of appeal in dismissing the suit relied on section 84(12) of the electoral act that only an aspirant can challenge the outcome of any primaries.

It also held that the primary election was conducted and a winner emerged and as such the court can not set aside the primaries, which is in line with section 15 of the electoral act.

All political parties have the power to set out rules to which it conducts its primaries, what happens during screening of candidates is an internal affair of the party.

If any candidate is not satisfied with the out of the screening exercise, he or she has the right to leave the party and not take the party to court.

On 18th July 2022 Justice Obiora Egwuatu had dismissed the suit filed by Mr Waziri on grounds that ot is 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’s Dissatisfaction of the trial court judgment led to this appeal.

In a telephone conversation with Tvcnews, counsel to Mr Waziri, Louise Alozie said they would be appealing the judgment.

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