Court Axes Atiku’s Ally Wali, Affirms Abacha As Kano Guber Candidate

A Federal High Court in Kano has affirmed the election of Muhammad Abacha as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kano.

Subsequently, the court ordered Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to henceforth recognize and publish the name of Abacha as the lawfully nominated candidate of the PDP for next year’s gubernatorial election in the state.

Incidentally, Wali is recognized by the National working committee and the presidential candidate of PDP, Alh. Atiku Abubakar as party flagbearer in Kano. The controversial situation placed the chances of Atiku in Kano at lower help.

In a judgement delivered by Justice A M Liman, via zoom on Thursday also restrained Sadiq Wali to henceforth desist from parading himself as the PDP governorship candidate in Kano.

Justice Liman who granted all the relief suits of Abacha on the ground that he was validly nominated during the primary conducted by the Sagagi-led factional Chairman of the party, added that votes cast for him remained lawful.

Faulted INEC for removing Abacha’s name from the gubernatorial candidate list in the first place, Justice Liman declared that by the tenure of the provisions of section 84 (1)(5)b of the electoral Act 2022, it is illegal, null and void for the electoral umpire to have withheld the name of Abacha who won the primary election and substitute him with Wali.

In his originating summon, Abacha had approached the court praying it to declare him the winner of the Party Primary Election conducted on 25th May 2022 on the ground that he was duly elected by delegates.

He also prayed the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), its officers, agents and privies from further recognising Sadiq Aminu Wali or any other person apart from parading himself as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Kano State for the 2023 Governorship Elections.

Abacha jr further told the court that he scored the highest total votes cast during the primary election, yet INEC went ahead to recognise Mr Wali as the party flag bearer.

Muhammad Sani Abacha, Sadiq Aminu Wali, and Sani Bello have been enmeshed in a bitter struggle for the governorship ticket of PDP in Kano.

Consequently, while Abacha contest the ticket at the court, another candidate, Jafar Sani Bello instituted a fresh suit challenging both Mohammed Abacha and Sadiq Wali on the alleged grounds of qualification in accordance with the provisions of the Nigerian constitution, Electoral Act and PDP constitution.

Jafar Sani Bello, similarly joined INEC in the suit for recognising Sadiq Wali as a flag for the party, as he urged the court to join him as an interested party in a suit he instituted and Wali was however joined.

Reacting to the judgement, a chieftain of the party, Zakari Wali expressed dissatisfaction with the judgement and insisted that the verdict would be challenged at the upper court.